Balverine Child
by Poxy Kirkman
Summary: A girl is lost in the woods and taken in by monsters... how will she react when the only world she has known gets turned upside down by non other than the charming and ever frustrating Benjamin Finn? Rated T for swearing and sexual references. Complete
1. Legends

This story revolves around the wonderful world of Fable 3, and the even more wonderful Mr Finn. I, unfortunately, do not own the Fable franchise, and that is my disclaimer, so all is done, thank you :D Enjoy

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Growing up, children all over Albion were told stories of Heroes and the monsters they fought, and among the worst were Trolls, Harpies, and Balverines. The first two were easy enough to avoid, you just wouldn't wander into a swamp if you had an ounce of common sense. The latter, however, was far more difficult to avoid, and possibly the hardest to kill off if you ever encountered it.

Balverines were creatures of night, creatures of darkness, and certainly not something you'd want to cross on an evening stroll... because you probably wouldn't make it back alive. For these reasons, Balverines were feared among man, and most other sentient creatures. Hobbes, Beatles, and the few Hollow Men that had a brain cell clinging on.

They were the plague of Albion, and those with enough common sense would steer clear of them by any means, and for damn good reason.

It was common knowledge that if a Balverine was in the vicinity then you would find yourself dead, or severely inconvenienced. If a Balverine felt threatened, it was highly likely that who or whatever threatened it would find itself dead. Point blank. There were no ifs or buts, you'd just find yourself having your throat ripped out, and anyone would tell you that it's unpleasant, though they've never actually experienced it. And there you'd be, dead as a doornail.

There was the argument though, that if a Balverine only bit you then you wouldn't die. No, because in that instance you'd have to go through the seemingly horrifically painful transformation to become a Balverine yourself. Some argued that it would be better to live, even if your mind was warped and twisted and you'd kill your loved ones on sight without a second thought. Others said they would rather die than face that horror, which in general was the shared opinion when faced with that conundrum. Most would rather just not have to face a Balverine.

There was a myth that there was a link between man and Balverine, going back as far as the Old Kingdom. In ancient times there was a creature named the Balvorn, which was much more vile and savage than a Balverine. It feasted upon thousands of humans at a time. There was only one man who survived its attacks, and that man became the first Balverine. And as they say, after that, the rest was history. Everyone knew of the beasts, everyone knew of the terrors you'd encounter if you ever met one, and they knew what happened after that.

That one poor bastard went on to bite and infect more humans, and now the overwhelming numbers of the beasts was terrifying almost everyone in every community.

As the beasts had derived from humans, and in most cases were humans that had been infected, there was the inkling that there were perhaps links between man and beast, and there would be some way to overcome the monsters.

These links only had to be found.


	2. Silverpines

I know I only posted the first chapter the other day, but it was mostly just an introduction to the whole idea through the fic, so I thought I'd post more. Thanks again all :) enjoy x

* * *

The folks of Silverpines had lost so much in their lifetimes. It wasn't easy for them to survive in the woods, and their only hope to get through each and every day was to light their Silver Nitrate torches and hope to Avo they didn't go out.

Plenty had lost their loved ones, but the most tragic of all these losses was when a small girl wandered out in the dead of night, away from the safety of the camp and into the clutches of the Balverines. The villagers searched come morning, but after going as far as it was safe to, and when they saw neither hide nor hair of the girl, and not even glimpsing her broken, mauled body, she was declared lost.

Nobody saw her again, but it was noted that after that point, the attacks on the Silverpine village lessened considerably.

"Oi Swifty, why do we have to come through this bloody hellhole?" the blond man called, running his fingers carelessly through his hair as he trod the forest floor after his commander with the rest of their troop.

"Because Ben" the moustachioed ma replied calmly "His Highness has asked us to come and restore some peace to these people, and inform that that their King has not forgotten them, and is doing his utmost to think of a solution to their problems."

Ben snorted, rolled his eyes and shot a disdainful look to his friend, Jammy.

"Rehearsed much?" he said quietly, making Jammy snort with laughter.

"Shut up Ben!" Swift snapped. He turned and looked stern, yet there was still that kind twinkle in his eye that Ben respected so much "You need to keep your guard up lad, there's Balverines in these parts."

At that precise moment, Ben whipped his rifle off his back and aimed it over Swift's shoulder, shooting at something he'd seen flit across the hill and through the trees.

Instantly, the rest of the troop was at alert. If Ben saw something and shot, it meant business as he was the best marksman in the New Albion Brigade. Everyone was still and silent, with the slightest breeze setting them all on edge again, making their trigger fingers itch and those holding swords flinch randomly in different directions.

"Move on men… quickly" Swift told them, his voice hoarse.

They wasted no time in trekking the rest of the way to the camp as quickly as was humanly possible, and never once did Ben stop scanning the forest with his ice blue eyes for any movement. He knew what he'd seen wasn't a Balverine, but it moved as quickly as one, and it set him right on edge. If there was something out there they didn't know about, how in the name of Skorm would they know how to fight it?

Then the pungent aroma of Silver burnt his nostrils, though it was a stench he would welcome with open arms.

He looked around slowly at the hovels these people were reduced to living in while Swift talked things over with the chief of the camp, an old bloke with grey wispy hair and sunken grey eyes by the name of Joseph. There were people poking their scared, pale faces out of doorways, peeking through windows in their cabins, while the odd chicken skittered around the soldiers' feet nervously.

It was a sad place, and as much as he hated the King for all the crap he'd been causing this last year or so, he couldn't help but think he'd finally pulled his thumb out his arse and decided to do something good. A cough brought him back to reality, and he turned to look at Swift, solemn as ever, and he stood slightly more to attention as he listened to his orders.

"Ben, these people need more help than we thought" Swift started slowly, his thumb and index finger smoothing out his moustache.

"I can see that" Ben said, though not unkindly. He felt so much concern for these poor bastards, and he knew every man here felt the same.

"I need you and Jammy to go out on a patrol."

Ben sighed. This was always the case. Jammy generally got a bit cut up, and Ben would shoot the thing that was cutting Jammy up in the face. Jammy always lived, and Ben always got to shoot something. But Balverines were a different matter, and Ben didn't feel confident about just the two of them going out alone. And obviously his expression conveyed as much, because Swift forced a small chuckle.

"They're arranging for you to take out a Silver Nitrate lamp, Balverines stay clear of those things… you two should be safe."

"'Should be' being the key words there Swifty."

Nevertheless, he took the silver lamp off a pretty young blond girl who he looked up and down – not subtly at all either – before shouting Jammy over and heading out into the forest, probably against their better judgement.

"Think if we pop off a couple of these overgrown dogs we could get some girls in bed?"

"Jammy, mate, you couldn't get a girl in bed if you had all the gold in Albion. She'd take one look at you and run to me" Ben laughed, holding his rifle steady with both hands as Jammy held the torch up high.

"You're a whore Ben, you know that right?"

"Course I do!" They both started laughing, until a high shrieking howling started around them, and they both froze solid, eyes darting about wildly.

"Ben… I'll be the first to admit my bowels turned to water. How about you?"

"Shitting myself" he replied, his voice cracked as something darted through the trees.

They stayed still for another moment; then Jammy let out a petrified yell as something darted towards them. They both leapt out of the way as that Balverine snarled and swept past, and by the time they stood, they found they were being circled by three of the flea bitten mongrels.

Ben lifted his rifle as one broke the circle and charged, shooting it straight between the eyes and killing it instantly. This only angered the other two, who charged in at the same time. Jammy had the sense to swipe at one with the torch, making it reel back with a yelp, but the other attacked from his other side before Ben could get it, and it tore into Jammy's side with its long claws, blood streaming from his side as he moaned and collapsed under the weight of the attacking Balverine and the searing pain.

"Shit!"

All Ben could do was fire off a few rounds into the monster on top of Jammy, and when he saw it go limp he kicked it off his friend, only for the Balverine that had leapt away from the torch to jump down from the trees, and dive at him headfirst.

He didn't hesitate, and he used his rifle to stop the beast sinking its teeth into his neck. Instead its jaws wrapped around the metal of the gun, and Ben felt his heart break a little as he heard a sickening crunch, and his gun started splintering.

"That" he hissed in the face of the growling beast, staring deep into its petrifying yellow eyes and almost touching his nose to its blunt snout "That was completely unnecessary."

Kicking the Balverine in the abdomen, it yelped and rolled off him. The gun was useless now, and all Ben could do was pull his dagger and dive at it, sinking the blade into its heart.

It shrieked in pain and tried to scramble away, but it bled out fast, and lay dead on the cold forest floor in moments.

"There you go."

He turned to Jammy, who had pushed himself up into a sitting position, clutching the spot just under his ribs, as the blood soaked through his clothing and painted his hand red.

"That was bloody marvellous Finn" he hissed, his eyes clamped shut and his teeth gritted. "But next time, do us a favour an' kill it before it kills me."


	3. Daenerys

Another chapter :) I don't own Fable, though I love it. Enjoy

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Daenerys watched them go, and suppressed a low growl in her throat. Casting a glance to her brother, who gave a small signal, she waiting until they were out of sight before going to check on her brethren.

She nudged her fallen comrades slightly, but saw the copious amounts of blood, and knew they were dead without bothering to check for signs of life. Her brother Drogo, one of the leaders of their pack seemed angrier, and she loped towards him, resting her head on his shoulder to try and calm him. He could become easily agitated, and she calmed him better than anyone.

He hummed something softly, turned away from her and leapt further into the thicket, leaving her to look with sad eyes back at the fallen, before following at a slightly slower pace to seek out the pack.

She prayed silently to their mother goddess to keep their souls safe, while adding on nervously that she may also protect her pack, because did the Gods know they needed it…

She felt a nervous knot in her stomach, and slowed her pace slightly.

The strangers were not Silverpine villagers. They communicated differently, fought differently, and smelled differently. They were more dangerous… but what made her most uncomfortable was the fact that she looked like them. Her figure was slighter, her features sharper, yet softer and gentler at the same time… but their basic anatomy was the same.

She knew she wasn't Balverine… but she couldn't be like those monsters, could she?

* * *

Ben and Jammy staggered back into the villagers camp and collapsed almost straight away, their Silver torch sputtering out as they crossed over into safety.

"Fat lot o' good that did us" Ben spat, lying face down into the mossy earth while a few of the lads ran up to help Jammy off to the medic; a common occurrence, which they didn't panic over.

"Ben, what happened?" Swift shouted about the small chaos; villagers shouting at their chief that if two soldiers couldn't hold their own out there, then they were done for. Ben ignored this, and the urge to express the fact that he and Jammy had survived, with only minor cuts and bruises and a small flesh wound in Jammy's case through some especially crude words he had stored up for such an occasion.

"Three Balverines. Massive buggers, and they're strong too" he grumbled, tossing down his broken gun with a hint of regret and facing the Major. "We're going to have to go in bigger groups on patrol, or not go as far. It's too dangerous; we'd all be killed before Sunday."

"Blimey…" Swift sighed, pulling a tobacco pipe from his pocket and lighting it up, puffing on it until it began to smoke. "You think there's much hope for this place?"

"It won't be easy… but we could fix this."


	4. The Death Of Kieran

Constructive criticism would be very much appreciated, and thanks to Cat, who reviews constantly :) enjoy again

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She was the smallest, and therefore she was the one sent out to watch the new visitors. She'd been given strict instructions not to attack by her mother, who though crippled with age and weakening by the day still knew how the humans worked, and what their habits would be.

Except these humans weren't like the ones she'd been told about. They carried metal poles that would spurt fire and thunder, but they didn't seem as tense.

It agitated her… made her feel as if she were on edge. They did what she did, and watching carefully she could see that the way she moved only differed slightly. Daenerys moved like a Balverine; quickly, gracefully, happily… they moved like… them. They loped about and kept laughing. She knew that sound; it wasn't too different to the way her Balverine brothers would laugh.

Then something small and furry caught her eye. It was one of the cubs, darting about trying to catch a butterfly that was fluttering further and further towards the group of men.

Whimpering, she watched helplessly as the cub tottered out and into the sight of the man with golden hair, who lifted the pole and aimed at the cub. She crouched on her back legs, readying herself to dart out and grab the cub, when there was a sickening howl and three of the stronger members of the pack leapt out at the men, tearing down two on the right side of the man, and circling to distract them while she got the cub.

Danny ran out, her hair flying behind her in a wild tangled mess, her heart pounding in her chest as she grabbed the cub with her right arm, then there was a crack like thunder, and her left arm started searing in pain.

Instantly she dropped the cub, which ran off crying back to its mother who was probably waiting anxiously for her young. She let out a howl of pain, before tossing her head to the side and looking into the eyes of the man who had hurt her. He looked shocked, then regained his composure and wrestled one of her pack off his men, blasting the Balverine in the leg.

Ignoring the pain in her arm she whistled through her teeth, signalling for the others to leave the broken men and get back to the thicket.

She turned on her heel and pelted away after them, ignoring the shouts from the men, and the cold blue gaze she could feel burning into the back of her head.

* * *

"Then this naked girl ran in and-"

"She wasn't naked Jammy!" Ben roared above the chaos, trying to shut the idiot up before he turned this story into something pornographic.

The villagers seemed more upset about the appearance of this mystery girl than Ben would have thought they would be, and something was unsettling in the way they kept whispering and looking to one shell shocked woman who had to be helped to a seat.

There was silence, and all you could hear in the village was the woman take a deep shuddering breath.

"What did she look like?"

The silence seemed to ring, and all heads slowly turned in Bens' direction. He pursed his lips, and ran a hand through his hair, brushing out some of the dried up mud and twigs.

"She… she was about yay high" he said, gesturing to some height around his chest, a rough estimation, as she was crouching or hunched when he saw her. "She was… thin. And she had, um… had brownish blond hair and really _green_ eyes."

People started muttering, but Ben only had eyes for the woman who choked slightly and uttered a loud sob, her head dropping into her hands and her shoulders shaking as she cried.

Joseph shouted for silence, and the people slowly made their way back to their homes, shooting nervous glances at the obviously distressed woman, while he himself helped her up and let her cling to him, supporting her slight frame as they walked slowly to her home.

Ben felt more than troubled, and turned to Swift who was looking over the men who were injured, and the one man that had died while they tried to get him back to town. A young boy, Kieran, only seventeen… still a child, and barely old enough to hold a gun, let alone know how to use it. It was a real shame to lose him, but he knew there were risks, and unfortunately, this was one of them.

There was a sadness lingering over the camp that night, and Ben could only comfort himself with grabbing a shovel, and venturing barely outside the walls of the village to dig a grave for his fallen comrade.


	5. One Of Them

I don't own the world of Fable, but I honestly do wish I could inhabit it from this point onwards

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She couldn't put much weight on her arm but her brother had managed to pick out the metal with his claw, which eased it slightly. It burnt her, like fire was constantly licking her arm, and the cub had been punished by its mother for causing so much trouble.

From then, Drogo had warned her not to leave the thicket, saying she was too fragile. She denied that, growling low and reminding him that she had survived the thunder and fire, whereas the others hadn't.

Then she felt a strong force slam her back into a tree, and while she yelped and clawed at his chest to try and force him away, Drogo would not budge, and only snarled in her face.

"_You're weak_" he hissed, and she shoved harder at him for a second before she closed her eyes tight to block him out.

"_Drogo, please let go_" she cried, and he growled again, warningly.

She went limp, and he dropped her, catching her face gently and somewhat reassuringly with his paw before leaping off into the trees, howling for his beta to follow him. She knew he was going to watch the new men, and she huffed slightly, feeling the cold again before crawling to her mother and curling up against her soft fur for some warmth.

Ben ignored the yellow eyes in the trees, knowing those Balverines would not come nearer because of the Silver torches. If they did, he'd happily shoot them in the face for killing Kieran.

Digging this hole was like hitting constantly at iron, the ground was so cold. His arms were aching, and his mind was wandering to one thing that was playing on his mind. He couldn't deny that it was odd a human had managed to get into a Balverine pack… it was more than bloody odd, it was unheard of. It wasn't like it happened every few years… the closest you could get to it was when an unlucky bastard would get bitten on a full moon and turn into a white Balverine. He'd then become the alpha of the pack, and he could turn into a human when he wanted. That was unnerving… it really was.

But a girl who could command the Balverines that were on the brink of killing them… a girl who hadn't been bitten, but moved like one of those monsters? Well, that genuinely scared him.

Rubbing his mud caked hand against his pants, pulling his coat closer to keep out the cold, and wiping the sweat on his head away using this back of his arm; he sighed and leaned heavily on the spade, looking up slightly into the bushes, to see a large Balverine crouching low in the bushes.

"Shit…" he muttered, staying stock still. The Balverine stayed staring at him, then leapt away into the dark. Ben could feel his heart hammering in his chest, and shivered slightly. A total sense of foreboding filled him, and he looked at the hole he was digging with the small sad idea that this could be his own grave he was digging… literally.

After staying stock still for a few minutes, he decided the Balverine wasn't coming back, and got to digging again.

Drogo had heard a twig snap from far behind him, and leapt away from his spot watching the man to land in front of Daenerys. She looked small and frightened then. She knew she wasn't supposed to follow him, but she wanted to prove she wasn't weak like he said she was.

But she felt it then.

He grabbed her roughly by the throat, pressing his blunt nose against hers, a threatening low growl building up, and his yellow eyes boring into her own green eyes.

"_I told you not to leave the thicket_!"

"_I'm not weak, I can prove it_" she choked, scrabbling at his chest as she tried desperately to escape his tight grip. He responded by pressing his body against her own, trapping her completely.

"_You're not a Balverine! You're one of them, and we may have accepted you, my mother may act as yours, but you'll never be one of us. You are weak… you always will be_."

Hot tears pricked at her eyes and froze instantly on her cheeks, and she shoved roughly against him, sprinting around the edge of the trees to the other side of the clearing.

She curled up, bringing her knees up to her chest, and she watched as the man continued to dig a deep hole in the ground. He kept wiping his sweat away from his face, and he huffed as he tried to catch his breath after digging for a few hours.

She sat there, watching curiously and ignoring the now dull throb in her arm and the numb cold feeling in the rest of her body. Her blood had dried, quickly forming a scab which she was thankful for… she felt that she got off lucky. She'd seen her family bleed to death from similar injuries. A few more men came out of the village, and they carried between them the body of one of their men that fell the night before in the attack. There was a distinct feel of sadness in the air. Daenerys crept forward to the edge of the clearing, hiding safely behind a bush as they lowered the body into the hole and started to pile the earth back in.

This must be their way to respect the dead… the men stood around for a moment, until they all went back inside the fort, last of all the golden haired man who looked back at the tossed earth with a sad forlorn look, before following the others back into the village.

Danny bit her lip slightly, waiting a while, then skipped out of the bush and skirted up against the walls of the village, keeping low. She didn't step on the earth where the man was buried, and she peeked into the village. Her green eyes scanned over the place, then a howl caught her attention.

With some difficulty, she turned away from the village, and ran back into the woods.


	6. Mating Season

Here's another chapter, first one in like... a week. Sorry bout that. I don't own Fable, but I hope you enjoy :)

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Swift stood upright, proud and strong; his pipe sticking out and smoking from between his teeth, while he pointed to a roughly drawn map of the area. There was a ditch just north of the village, almost like a worn down coliseum, which was well known for hoarding Balverines.

"Right men… about here is where the Balverines circulate. If we're going to cut them out of this area, then we ought to keep a patrol here to monitor the activity. We'll be more likely to know when they're likely to come here, then-"

"Then we can blow their ruddy brains out" Ben chuckled darkly, lifting his new gun slightly to emphasize his point.

There was a cheer from the troops, and a ripple of dark laughter ring around their circle. And each of the men stood up, stretched and wandered off, collecting their kit and talking amongst one another about the plan. Ben was going to go find a nice young lady to 'talk to' when he felt Swift lay a hand on his shoulder.

"I need a word Ben" he started, taking his pipe from his mouth and blowing the smoke from his mouth in short puffs.

"Sure thing Major" Ben said, turning to face his mentor and friend.

"That girl you saw the other day, the one that caused so much fuss in the village. I need you to find out some information about her, so could you talk to Genevieve?"

"Genevieve?"

"The poor woman who broke down the other night. She's some connection to the girl, and we need to know what we can about her."

Ben nodded silently, turning to walk past a group of young girls who smiled and batted their lashes at him, as he walked up to the old house. Knocking on the door, he waited a few minutes, but there was no reply. He decided not to relent, and knocked again, louder and longer.

There was the sound of a catch sliding, and he pulled away his fist, and the door opened.

The first thing he noticed was a pair of bright green eyes, and instantly it all slid into place.

"I need to ask you about your daughter."

* * *

Every year as winter comes to a close, they all go down to the glade, where it was just dirt, ice and a few drifts of snow, and the males fought it out over who got which bitch to mate with. Daenerys felt her stomach churn, because there were the terrible nerves that grew there.

She was now eighteen in human years, counted carefully by her mother who had actually once been a human and could tell her age as an infant, but that meant she was now physically old enough to mate like the rest of the bitches in the pack. Her body didn't develop as fast as the others' did, so she'd spent years mulling over what would happen when the time came for her to mate.

But she wasn't Balverine, so what would come of that? What would she do if one of her brethren chose her? She couldn't reject them, or she would shame her mother, and be rejected from the pack.

"_You're nervous_."

She jumped at the sound of his deep growl, and turned to see Drogo looking at her, his eyes a calm gold for once, and not their usual striking, threatening yellow.

"_Slightly_" she admitted. "I'm _not ready to be mated off… I'm not even a Balverine_."

"_No… you're not. But you are a member of this pack, and you will find a mate, and you will be accepted for it_."

She looked up at him, and he affectionately bumped his nose against her head, and she smiled toothily at him as he stalked off. She puffed her chest out proudly. Though she wasn't a Balverine, and he constantly reminded her of that fact, he never made her feel unwelcome, and loved and protected her like he did any other member of the pack.

Drogo was watching something over the hill when she felt something brush against her arm. She turned to see Anakai, one of the younger Balverines smirking at her, his teeth bared in a manner that didn't appear hostile, but it wasn't pleasant either… His fur was matted and dirty all the time and he smelled like rotting flesh. He never bathed himself, and was generally a vile being. Instantly Danny backed away from him, quickly shooting him a warning look before scuttling off closer to where Drogo was sat.

Anakai followed her though, becoming more persistent in keeping close to her and more obvious about his intentions. He wanted her as a mate, and no one was challenging him. Panic and bile rose in her throat as she backed into a wall, and she gulped down her disgust and decided she should accept it. His fur brushed against her, and the warmth radiating from him chilled her to the bone, more so than the ice ever really could.

She felt Anakai lick her cheek slowly, then suddenly there was a furious roar and a gust of wind, and she turned sharply to see Anakai and Drogo tearing into one another. There were startled cries from the other Balverines, and Daenerys felt a chill to her bones when Anakai bit deep into Drogo's shoulder, drawing blood.

The alpha howled in fury, and slashed at the smaller Balverine, cutting across his face with long thick claws, leaving deep gauges in their wake.

The fight continued for a good few minutes, each of the fighting males leaping and pouncing at one another, while Daenerys could only stare on fearfully.

Drogo stumbled and slouched, and it looked in that instant that Anakai would win, as he darted forward, his teeth bared. Then as he got close enough to sink his teeth into Drogo's neck, the older Balverine flattened himself to the ground, and jumped up again when Anakai was over him, sinking those long claws into the younger ones' stomach.

It ripped a howl from his throat, and then he lay still and bloody on the forest floor, while Drogo staggered back towards Daenerys who ran to greet him half way. She was his now, and if she were to be part of this pack, she wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

When she was just a child she'd wandered out into the forest. Her name was Alice, and she was the only child of Genevieve, who had lost her husband that year to Balverines too.

Of course Ben could feel her heartache, he'd lost his family due to their own misdeeds. His brothers were thieves, gamblers and idiots, in their own endearing ways. He'd always loved them, despite the fact that their moral compass hadn't always matched his own… but for Genevieve to now know that her child had become one of the monsters that had killed her husband? That was the definition of emotional torture.

And how far had Alice fallen into the Balverine nature? Would she be as wild and dangerous as the others, or would she still have an ounce of humanity left in her.

"I want those… creatures… gone. But I want my daughter back. If you can save her, then I'll be so grateful."

Ben could only nod, before he went to relay this information on to his superiors. The girl was obviously very important to the pack, otherwise she'd have been turned into a Balverine long before now… probably killed too, by the villagers when they strapped on a pair and shot one that dared get too close to the village. She'd called those three monsters away before they killed any more of his men, so she had some power. She had connections. He just had to figure out the extent of it.

He was half way across the village, under a twisted old oak tree, when there were vicious snarls, howls and cries from within the forest. They sounded close, and he looked about quickly to see Joseph and Swift turn pale as ghosts, before the chief snapped into action and ordered people to get into their houses quickly, advising Swift and his men to do the same.

"Oi! What the ruddy hell's going on?" Ben yelled above the commotion of screaming children, panicking mothers and men that were trying to load rifles and pistols with shaking hands.

"Mating season" Joseph responded darkly, his thick bushy eyebrows casting a shadow over his eyes. He looked tormented, and angry. "The beasts get braver this time of year; they venture in for short times before leaving again. We lost too many people last year… we can't let that happen again."

Ben watched the man lumber away, and turned to look at Swift and Jammy who were talking quickly and quietly.

"Finn, we're going to get our men together and fight the Balverines" Swift informed him, taking his rifle off his back and loading it up quickly. "If we can get them while they're… distracted... then they should be easier to pick off. And if we stay together then we'll be less likely to lose anyone."

Ben felt stumped, and then he furrowed his brow and waved his hand in between himself and the Major, as if waving the idea away.

"If they're mating won't they be more protective?" he asked quickly, grabbing Jammy's arm as he went to pick up his own rifle. "There's more chance they'll slaughter us now." Jammy looked like he was ready to respond, his brow furrowed too and a look of agreement obviously plastered on his face when Swift cut in, pushing a gun to his chest.

"Shut up Ben, we're going out in half an hour. Prepare quickly."


	7. Hunting The Pack

Hi guys, so I kind of forgot about this, and it was only thanks to Avo (a person on here, not the Fable God) that I remembered and decided to post again.

Hope you enjoy :)

* * *

Daenerys ran playfully from him, hiding quietly behind a birch tree and diving into the snow, flattening herself so she couldn't be seen. She could hear him following, and knew he was relaxed, despite the cuts lacing his body.

Slowly, she crept out from the snow bank, and turned to look around the tree, but couldn't see him.

"_Drogo_?" she called, when she heard a soft padding sound behind her and a strong arm wrapped around her waist. She was pulled into his soft warm fur, and he nuzzled her neck.

"_Got you_" he chuckled, a low rumble in the back of his throat. He sounded kinder, and she wriggled around in his arms to face him, burying her face into his chest, feeling his muscles tighten as he sat down, holding her close.

Then suddenly, he pushed her to the ground, flattening himself over her to keep her still, and hissing in her ear for her to be quiet. A rush of emotions filled her; panic and confusion most present. But she stayed quiet like he told her to, and kept very still underneath him.

Then she heard what he had heard, and twisted slightly in the dead patches of grass and flurries of snow to see the men creeping along slowly to the glade, bundled in thick clothing to keep them warm, with their metal poles raised and the expressions on their faces was one of intense collective seriousness.

"_They're hunting_…" Drogo growled, and he tensed his back legs ready to jump up to the trees. Danny barely had time to spin around and wrap her arms around him, holding him close and imploring him to stay down with her eyes.

"_They'll kill you too_" she gasped, tears springing to her eyes as she felt this dire conflict swell in her chest, squeezing at her heart. "_Please, stay_."

This only angered Drogo, but he waited until the last of the men had passed before wrenching himself away from her and snarling down.

"_What of mother? They'll kill her! They'll kill the one who took you in and protected you from the others. What of the young? They'll see their parents and their pack slaughtered, then have the thunder turned on them_."

Daenerys choked slightly, reaching for him, but he already leapt away, high into the trees to send ice cascading down on her when the first howl of terror sounded, and the thunder cracked all around.

* * *

It was almost too easy to kill them this way. Half the males had been killed fighting over the bitches of the pack, and the other half were weak from fighting. It seemed almost cruel, but Ben comforted himself in the thought that any one of these creatures could have killed Kieran, and this was revenge. Obviously not all of them had killed his friend, but then they would have gone on to kill more people…

Wouldn't they?

It was sad watching the older beasts run to try and protect their cubs, but he kept firing.

Shooting one through the head, turning away as it screamed and fell, a mess of tangled and matted bloody fur on the forest floor, it's brains spattered out staining the white snow red.

Another through the leg, watching briefly as it bled out, whimpering on the ground as its child ran to it, nudging it and crying out pathetically. He gasped slightly when he watched the baby Balverine tumble over, dead, and turned to see Jammy biting his lip with a hint of regret.

"It'd only grow up to be as bad as the others" he called, justifying the shot.

Ben couldn't care less. As much as he liked shooting things, he didn't like the idea of a life ending so young. It seemed immoral to him, and regrets about shooting an animal wasn't a thing that normally bothered the soldier.

Then something crashed sidelong into him, and he barely had time to register the yellow eyes burning into him when they were gone again, the weight of the Balverine leaving him as two of his comrades turned to shoot the thing. He looked up in an almost drowsy state, trying to catch his breath as the monster landed near some of the young, scooping them up in its front strong arm before leaping away again, getting them to safety. He was secretly glad that some of the young were rescued, but then bit his lip when only moments later, it was back, snarling and howling threateningly at them all, but it moved far too quickly for one of the others to shoot.

It sprinted forward, and Ben rolled over, keeping low to the ground and sinking lower into the snow, grabbing his fallen gun as it came headfirst at him, teeth bared, and he aimed.


	8. Captured

Here's another chapter for you lovely people :) sorry it's coming out so slowly, I actually do have a few chapters written up, they just need to be typed and stuff...

anyways, enjoy.

* * *

She'd run to the edge of the clearing, chest heaving and a cold sweat covering her already trembling body to see her friends and family dead before her, their blood painting the snow a deathly red, and Drogo leaping away with some of the cubs clutched close to him. Her heart swelled and she couldn't help but fight back a smile for her new mate who was proving his love for his family.

Then he was back almost as quickly as he left, and he was snarling at the men who had killed the best part of their pack. He jumped away, avoiding the pain the thunder and fire of their weapons brought, and he landed between a few of them, slicing them down before leaping away again.

Her attention turned for a second to the golden haired one, who was crouched low, hiding. His weapon followed Drogo expertly, and before she could scream out a warning to him, there was a resounding crack amongst the yells of the men and the howls of her pack, and Drogo stopped dead, shocked.

Thunder cracked twice more, and the yellow eyes dimmed slightly, and Drogo tumbled over, landing in a crumpled heap on the now red ground.

* * *

He grinned triumphantly as the largest Balverine fell, which scared the others off completely. He supposed this was the alpha male, and killing him meant trouble for the others.

His happiness faded when there was a scream behind him, it sounded like a wounded animal… but there was something more than physical to it. It was raw emotion, he knew it; fresh anger bursting out viciously from some poor being.

He turned quickly, ignoring the stab in his side where the Balverine had crashed into him before and saw the girl, Alice, running out from the trees. She moved faster than any other human possibly could, her body lithe yet strong as she dived towards the fallen beast, crouching at its head as she tangled her fingers into his fur.

The men were silent as they watched her heart breaking, and the only silence was her whimpers and cries and she shook the Balverine. It seemed to cling to consciousness for a moment, clinging to its last thread of life as it grunted something, before the light in those cruel yellow eyes went out, and its chest stopped heaving in heavy, laboured breathing.

She didn't seem to know what to do. And for a moment she stared blankly at him, her mouth opening and closing stupidly as she tried to grasp the situation. He dared take a small step forward, which went unnoticed by this girl as tears filled her eyes and realisation crashed over her. She cried out pitifully for the fallen, burying her face in the chest of the dead Balverine as sobs and whines shook her frame.

He moved quicker then, and when he reached her, he gently laid a hand on her shoulder.

She stiffened instantly, and she seemed to convulse slightly before wrenching away from him, growling in an almost animalistic manner. Something took over him, and he dived quickly, catching her by surprise and knocking her backwards, pinning her down under his weight and pushing her arms out above her head.

She snapped at him, whining and crying out and shooting terrified glances at the dead beast beside them, as if willing it to get up and kill Ben. Her leg escaped and crashed into his privates, winding him and making him roll over with a pitiful moan. She almost escaped then and there, but Ben instinctively shot a hand out and caught her around the ankle, dragging her back to the floor. She kicked him hard in the face, and with a sickening crunch Ben felt blood running down from his nose. It didn't feel broken, but she'd definitely burst it.

Jammy stumbled over with a length of rope and tied her hands up, stopping her from lashing out even more than she had. He pulled the knot tight, using the rest of the length to tie around Ben's wrist as a sort of makeshift handcuff, smirking slightly as he then pressed a cloth into the blonds' hands to stem the bleeding.

She screamed and struggled, and Avo she was strong! She almost slipped out at one point, but Ben managed to grab her wrist and wrenched her back, dragging her towards the village.


	9. Inside There's Alice

I'm sorry it's taking so long to update, but with everything that's been going on with my life recently I've just been floundering around for some time. I have another stoey in the works which is proving harder to write, so I'm dedicating as much time as I can to writing copious amounts for this story so I can just put them up for you.

I know my grammar is terrible, and I'm really trying to fix that but I've never been awesome at it. On the plus side I know capital letters and full stops, so we're on some kind of roll here :D

It would mean a lot if you could review please

Thanks, and enjoy!

* * *

She didn't know what was happening, and her anger and hurt and confusion bubbled over at random times, making her violent and hostile, snapping and lurching at whoever dared get close. Her most frequent victim of the attacks was the golden haired one. She was most angry at him, because he had killed Drogo, but she felt some intrigue towards him.

Ignoring the fact that she'd injured him, and there had been a stream of blood down his face which was now dried and brown, he still stood tall and proud. He seemed to have control over the other men around him, save one man, who seemed older and more impressive in his clothing. She assumed the one dragging her towards the village was the beta in this group, while the older man with hair on his face was obviously the alpha.

Occasionally, she'd look up and see their beta looking at her, and his eyes were an unsettling bright blue… it was unusual, because she was so used to the yellow eyes of her pack.

Her pack… she whimpered slightly as she thought of them, lying cold and dead in the glade… of Drogo, who had fought for her, only to then be killed trying to protect her and the others. There was a huge weight on her chest, compressing it. It felt like her heart and ribs were being crushed, and a sob caught in her throat.

It was her fault, entirely. Drogo could have gone and warned the pack, and they could have all escaped before the men came and destroyed them. It was her fault Drogo was dead; and the others too. Her friends and their young were all dead because of her selfishness.

* * *

He glanced back at her, and she seemed to be struggling with herself.

She was a violent little thing, but at the moment she was being surprisingly cooperative, following along quietly. Of course, Ben couldn't help but feel a little guilty about ambushing her pack like that. He understood how it felt to lose your family, and he had just put her through the exact same heart wrenching experience he'd had to go through when he was younger.

He glanced back again, and saw her green eyes filling with tears, and she was trying to blink them away frantically, trying not to let them spill over.

They were nearly at the village, and suddenly he felt the rope around his wrist tug, and he looked back to see her wide eyed and scared, straining to get away. She tried desperately to escape from the rope bindings, biting at the rope, trying to gnaw it away.

Sighing, Ben lunged at her, grabbed her around the waist and heaved her up over his shoulder. She screamed and hit at him, kicking and scratching and fighting back.

"What've you got there?!" came the started cry of Joseph, who was staring wide eyed at the girl screaming over Bens' shoulder.

"We think… we found Alice" Swift said, gesturing towards the girl clad in rags and covered in dirt and blood.

The villagers stared in a mix of horror, shock and awe as Ben walked in with the girl over his shoulder, before he lifted her and dropped her back on the ground.

There was a collective gasp, though the most audible was that of Genevieve, who staggered forwards and dropped to her knees in the snow in front of the girl. She reached forward slowly, her hand trembling as she brushed some of the girls' wild hair away from her face, staring into the vivid green eyes that mirrored her own.

The girl gaped, then seemed to jump herself back to normal, and snapped at Genevieve's hand, baring her teeth and letting out a warning growl.

"What… what's happened to her?" Genevieve sobbed, retracting her hand quickly, looking appalled. "What's happened to my little girl?"

"She's grown up with Balverines" Joseph interjected, looking slightly disgusted at the sight of her. "She's more monster than human."

Ben bit his lip slightly. She wasn't a monster; she'd just grown up differently. He highly doubted she was a killer… he was… in many circumstances he'd had to shoot people down, even if the poor bugger on the other end of his gun didn't deserve it. So did that make him worse?

"It' okay baby… we'll fix you" Genevieve said to the girl, who stared back quietly looking confused and scared. "We'll fix you."


	10. Joseph

The latest installment of Balverine Child before I have to go for a few days to work in Kilmarnock (Scotland). It's going to be fun :D Please review, I'd like to know what people think

Enjoy x

* * *

Joseph had insisted that she was a threat to the village, as they didn't know how violent she could become, or if she could find a way for the other Balverines to get in and wreak havoc.

It had been the mass decision to put her, rather unceremoniously, in a cage. Of course people argued against it, like Genevieve who insisted she could stay in her home, and other villagers who shouted that she was a human and had rights.

Ben stayed quiet, as did the other soldiers. It wasn't their place to say anything, as they'd finished the job they'd come here to do. The town was safer, as most of the Balverines had just been killed, and Genevieve had her daughter back, although there were a lot of problems to sort out in that respect.

Over the night, the Major had asked Ben to keep watch over her, because he was the one she snapped at less.

It got to about two a.m. when the moon was highest in the sky… his eyes had started to droop, and he leaned against the bars of the cage without thinking. When he realised that she was in the cage and could probably kill him, he was about to leap away, but he felt a small pressure against his back which made him stay still.

Glancing around, he saw her huddled against the back of him for warmth. She shivered and curled up tighter, sniffling to herself.

* * *

Daenerys felt lost in that cage… she felt trapped and it was almost as if the walls were closing in on her, and she couldn't do anything to stop it.

Their beta was watching her, on orders from the alpha, though he seemed sad and tired. He had been pacing outside her cage for the past few hours and only stopped every now and then to stare at her, as if he were studying her. She found his piercing blue eyes enchanting, as she had only ever known the yellow of the Balverines, and the green of her own reflection. It was as if he were reading her soul, and as much as that concept intrigued her, she didn't like it.

She took to looking around the camp the people had set up in Silverpines. It was small, and the Silver lamps burning around the village gave off an acrid stench which made her nostrils flare and her eyes water ever so slightly, but it didn't hurt her the way it had her pack, and she took slight comfort in the fact that she would survive…

But there was something niggling in the back of her mind, something that she couldn't shake. She felt as if she knew this place, as if it were somewhere deep within her memories. She knew that woman too… the one who had reached out to her. Her eyes were the same as her own, and Danny felt sick knowing she had some connection to that woman, and therefore some connection to the monsters who had killed her family.

She knew some of their language too. Or it at least sounded familiar. It was like she had her head underwater when they were communicating, and she had some recognition of what they were saying, but it wasn't all that clear.

It felt alien to her mother tongue, and the words they used twisted in her mouth and felt wrong.

Sighing softly, she crawled back to the other side of her prison and leant against the bars where the man was. It was cold, and if she couldn't share the warmth of Drogo's fur, then the body heat of this man would have to do.

Once her back touched his, he stiffened, but he didn't move, which she was thankful for.

He relaxed again after a moment, and she stayed still, listening to the breathing of the man who had killed her mate. She hated him, but there was something about him she couldn't hate completely. There was a look of complete guilt on his face, and she sympathised with that.

"I'm sorry about this… I really am" he said, though she didn't know what he was saying, his tone was soft. She looked up at him with big green eyes, and turned his head slightly to look at her with his blue ones.

"I wouldn't have put you in a cage… I shouldn't have even brought you back here."

She continued to stare at him, and he chuckled to himself. It wasn't the same deep rumbling like Drogo, but it was pleasant to listen to. He wasn't being unkind to her at all, though he was a murderer, and one of the monsters that had attacked her family. She couldn't forgive him, as much as she felt she wanted to understand him.

"Boy! Let 'er out. We want to try and do something."

She snapped her head up and looked at the fat man with grey hair who'd gotten the others to trap her. She growled slightly, warning him off, but stopped when the long thin metal pole was pointed at her face, and she heard the click that made the thunder start.

"Whoa, Joseph, don't hurt her!" shouted the man with gold hair, taking a small step towards the man, but not doing anything to push him into pulling the trigger.

"Let 'er out I say. Let's see what she does."

Daenerys watched as the blond man opened the cage slowly, almost wearily, and he gestured for her to get out. She stared for slightly longer than the man was going to let her, because he cocked the pole slightly and sneered at her. People were coming out of their houses and watching the spectacle. She glanced over and saw the woman with matching eyes to hers clutch at her throat, a look of terror on her face.

"Come on!" the man yelled, and she flinched before slinking out of the cage and standing tall, facing him.

"Joseph, she won't understand you" one person started, making her whirl her head around to look at him. All the other people were talking low and gently, and she felt less threatened by them than she did the hulk of a man in front of her.

He lifted the pole above his head and fired out the thunder.

Her heart pounded and she yelped and leapt back, looking around desperately for an escape, and she saw the golden haired one staring anxiously, his hand itching towards his own weapon.

"_Please… no_" she moaned, looking at the chief again with wide pleading eyes. He couldn't hear the desperation in her voice, only the fact that she spoke in a soft whine and it outraged him.

"She's more beast than human! She's better off dead like the rest of them!" he cried, aiming his weapon at her head, and clicking back a trigger for the thunder. There were cries all around her, and the crowd became agitated, and started shouting at him.

"I'm not going to risk any more lives to try and save one child that grew up with Balverines!"

In a moment of desperation, she launched towards him and ducked under his weapon, knocking him back and rolling away from him, landing expertly on the balls of her feet, crouched over and ready to spring again.

What she didn't expect was the hard thwack of something on the back of her head, and the splitting headache she got before the world turned black.


	11. Language Barriers

Hey everyone, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Read on please and review if you like :)

* * *

Ben had sprinted forward and wrenched the gun from Josephs' hands before he clubbed Alice to death with it, while Swift wrestled him to the ground, twisting his arm expertly to cuff him. He did it in the superior and refined way that only Swift could manage after years of service to the country.

After tossing the gun to Jammy, who chucked it to the side, Ben bent down and scooped Alice up, taking her over to the open front General Store and laying her gently on a few bales of hay.

"It's like she's a bloody circus act" he raged at Jammy, who stood by nervously.

"Well… it's not every day you find someone that's been raised by Balverines."

"Not the point…" he muttered, raking his fingers through his blond hair before it fell back into his eyes again.

Jammy wandered off to move people on, telling them there was nothing to see and they should all go back to their homes.

After watching the girl for an hour, and laying a damp cool cloth on her head to reduce the swelling the gun caused when Joseph hit her with it, he sat himself down and watched her sleep.

She was very pretty, despite her wild hair and mud covered body. He could see her exact figure and her flat stomach… her skin looked soft, but he could tell she was muscled, though she was quite lithe. Her skin, what he could see beneath the dirt and grime, was pale but unblemished. Once tidied up, and perhaps with even less clothing on, he'd be quite interested.

He smirked slightly to himself, then saw her eyes flutter open, and she moaned slightly in pain and lifted a hand to press gently at her temple.

"Taking a nap? Typical Balverine behaviour I see" he chuckled, chucking a thin blanket over her. She grumbled something lowly, and raised herself into a sitting position, closing her eyes and breathing deeply through the pain. After a few moments, she looked up at him through narrowed eyes, cautious and weary, but she made no attempt to escape. Ben felt much more at ease knowing she was awake and well, and not trying to rip his throat out.

"I haven't introduced myself" he smirked, extending his hand out to her. "The name's Ben Finn."

"Better remember that love, you'll be screaming it later no doubt" Jammy laughed from outside, stooping quickly as Ben turned and threw an egg he picked up from the store shelf in his direction.

"Ignore him, he's a prat" Ben laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.

* * *

She watched him as he laughed, and she suddenly didn't like him much again. The caring nature he showed earlier had dissipated, leaving him seeming very arrogant. She was reminded faintly of Anakai, and smirked slightly when she remembered Drogo beating him down, imagining him doing the same to this man.

Then she remembered that Drogo had been killed, and her heart sunk again. It wasn't like she truly loved him… she did feel for him, she had grown up with him, and she would have learned to love him like that. But now she was with all these people, she wondered how they went about mating and raising their young. It was a different world here than what she was used to, and it frightened her.

She looked up at him again, listening intently, trying to understand his language.

"You don't understand a word I'm saying, do you?" he asked her, sitting with a groan on a hay bale next to her. He pointed to himself and said very slowly. "Ben."

She'd watched his mouth, and saw the way he shaped the word. She slowly moved her lips into the shape he had, and formed the strange word in her mouth.

"Be… Ben" she said slowly, and he smiled briefly.

"Yeah that's it, I- eh?"

"B… Ben" she said again, rolling the word around her mouth. It felt strange, and she sounded stranger. She didn't feel confident speaking like this, and reverted back to grumbling.

"No, no! Say it again" he urged. Danny still couldn't understand him, but he was smiling and he kept beckoning to her with his hands, as if prompting her. She lifted her head up slightly staring into his eyes, before whispering the strange word again. He laughed and clapped his hands together, looking happy.

"Great!" he cried, pointing to himself again "Ben-" then he pointed towards her, and said slowly "-Alice."

This word seemed even stranger… she decided that Ben was his name, like Drogo was her mates' name. But… Alice. This wasn't her name. This meant nothing, and she didn't like the sound of the word… it threw her mind into a haze and foggy memories surfaced. It wasn't right, and she showed this by shaking her head 'no', and he looked at her curiously.

"_Daenerys_" she said slowly, and he looked at her quizzically. She was speaking in her normal tongue, and he didn't understand her. She sighed and looked away.

This was going to be difficult…


	12. A Near Escape

Another chapter, please read and review :)

* * *

She'd had to be held still as people dropped her into a pool of water, and women scrubbed her body till it was red raw, and pulled at her hair until it was tangle free and hung silkily down her back and over her shoulders.

She was wrestled into decent clothing, and forced to sit and listen to people talk about her.

The idea she'd had where the language they spoke was something she recognised, but couldn't quite grasp was coming to light slightly more. It had been three weeks she'd spent in the village, away from her pack, and the longer she spent around these people, the more she remembered about forming their words and speaking them. She couldn't always form coherent sentences. Most of the time it was a confused garble of words that slurred out of her mouth, and the only one that she could say with some confidence was 'Ben'.

She'd taken to tailing him through the village, and gained a slightly increased understanding of what he said, which was not always good to listen to. The only reason she followed him was because she wanted to know more about the men, and he was the one that was least scared of being around her.

Daenerys was sat on a wall surrounding the oak tree in the middle of the village when she heard people approaching, and looked up to see Ben and the alpha, known as Swift, with another man. He was tall and muscular, and had a lot of hair covering his face above his lip and under them. Ben described hair like this as a 'moustache and beard', though she couldn't say these things, they didn't roll off her tongue like 'Ben' did, it was sticky and complicated. He looked gruff and as threatening as Drogo had occasionally done.

There was something about him, something that told her he was a fighter, and he was strong. She felt a respect for him deep in her, but she couldn't help but feel unsettled by his presence, and she jumped up instantly, backing off slightly.

"Stay there" Ben said slowly, but she ignored him, looking up at the ever nearing towering figure, and backing off further.

"This is the Balverine child?" the man asked, his voice loud and coarse, but not unkind in any respect.

"Yeah, she- no, stay there! Stay there!"

There had been a howl from within the woods, the first one to be heard over the past weeks, and in an instant Daenerys' eyes had opened that little bit more, she tensed, and she turned to look at the exit to the woods and the glade where she had last seen the surviving members of her pack.

She cast a glance back to Ben, Swift and the new man, then back to the path to the glade. In a second she bolted, escaping the walls of the village and running, feeling free again. Ben yelled for someone to stop her, but all the men leapt away form her as she snarled at them, her eyes narrowing into green slits, her stance becoming almost like a Balverines, and she had a clear run through the frightened people.

"No, that's fine! Complete ignore me!" Ben roared as he pelted after her. Swift and the taller man followed quickly, but because of their age they weren't as fast, and soon Ben was left alone to follow her deeper into the woods.

She was semi conscious of the fact that she was almost home, almost free of these confining 'clothes' she'd been forced into, and she would be back with her mother and her family… but Ben, who had taken care of her and kept her safe within the village, was running into danger as he followed her, and she didn't find the idea of seeing him being ripped apart very appealing. He may have caused the death of Drogo, but he had saved her from their chief, and a life for a life meant he should live.

So she stopped, against her better judgement, and turned to him just as he caught up, puffing and panting, and grabbed hold of her shoulders… more to support himself really, but partially because then he knew she was there and not running off again.

"Go" she said slowly but forcefully, knowing what the implication behind the word was and that he should understand that simple command.

"No" he panted, groaning as he stood upright and clutched a stitch in his side "You've got to come back too."

"No" she hissed, understanding his gestures towards the village as him wanting her to go back there. She tried to wrench herself away, but he grabbed hold of her too hard, his grip vice like and his expression one of annoyance.

"Listen love, we didn't go through all that pigging trouble to make you more like a human again for nothing."

This outraged her, her eyes narrowing dangerously and her lip twitching up in a very cruel manner, baring his teeth at him and she snarled slightly.

"No!" she screamed at him, punching him in the chest as hard as she could. She wanted to tell him how he'd ruined her life. How he'd killed her closest friend and protector and how she'd been happy before he turned up.

She watched as Ben scoffed, raking his fingers through his hair and narrowing his own blue eyes back at her, not bothered about how angry she was getting.

"You should be thanking me; I got you away from those monsters-"

And that was where it really stung. She gave an outraged cry before launching at him, her fingers closing tightly around his throat as she floored him, straddling him while she strangled him.

"Monsters?!" she cried, the word spitting from her mouth before she realised she could utter it. It sounded like her own word for monster. She knew he was insulting her family, and so her grip on his throat tightened and she was intent on hurting him. _He_ was the murderer! _He was the monster_!

Tears were flooding from her eyes, and she didn't notice when Swift and the other man turned up, she was only barely aware of the fact that she was being wrenched away from Ben by the huge man, or that she was being carried – kicking and screaming – back to the village.

* * *

"I like it rough, but that was ridiculous!" Ben joked slightly as he watched Walter dump her back in the cage and shut it, leaving her to scream nonsense at them, before she reverted to huddling in a corner and sobbing. She buried her head in her arms, curled up in a foetal position.

"Balls to this" Walter huffed, watching the girl with a look of disdain. "She's too dangerous Swift, what were you thinking?"

Ben turned to his commander, rubbing his tender throat gently, it still sore from where she'd tried choking him.

"She's human at the end of the day Walter…" he started, pulling his old pipe from his pocket, stuck it in his mouth and lit it. "She's never shown she's dangerous before… so the question is, what did Ben do to upset her?"

Both men turned their attention to Ben, who stood there looking slightly sheepish. He pulled his collar slightly, and chuckled.

"I only said a lot of effort went in to getting her away from those mon- Balverines."

He'd caught himself before he said 'monsters' again, but it was no use as Alice had already heard him start to say it again, and she flew into a rage at him through the bars.

She screamed angrily, hurling herself at the bars, looking as if she was wishing them away so she could throttle him. Ben watched, slightly annoyed.

It wasn't the first time a woman had been angry with him, or wanted to kill him. On several occasions he'd had a pistol pointed in his face, or a dagger pressed against his neck. But Alice was different; because she actually could kill him, and she didn't have the social awareness that most human beings did to think that it would be a bad idea. Adding the fact that there was a language barrier too so he couldn't very well smooth talk his way out of a dangerous situation with her.

However, she was being completely out of order. He knew she'd grown up in a different society, and manners wouldn't come easily to her. That was something he wasn't happy about.

"That's enough now" he spat, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're acting like I'm in the wrong here-"

"Monster!" She screamed; her voice high and shrill while the words she used tumbled clumsily from her mouth, tears streaming down her face "Monster!"

He shook his head and walked slightly closer to the bars, just out of reach of her outstretched fingers, because she would most definitely try to claw his eyes out.

"They're animals, they're savages, and you're better off without them."

She made a sound of outrage, snarling at him with bared teeth and terribly angry eyes. He knew he was only taunting her because she was behind bars, and he felt slightly cowardly for doing so. Of course he felt bad about the whole ordeal, but they were just animals, and she was a human being, and she should understand that.

"Shut up Ben" Walter growled, laying a hand on his shoulder and shoving him away.

"Why Walter? Do you think they deserved anything less? They killed Kieran and they would've killed more of us if we didn't-"

"The man said shut up Finn! He's your superior and you'd do well to remember that" Swift snapped. It was rare the man raised his voice in anything other than battle, and Ben knew better than to carry on arguing with him, it would be a stupid move unless he wanted to get locked up in the cage with Alice.

He walked away slowly, muttering to himself, as he watched Walter brave the closeness of the cage, and Alice hit his chest weakly, before whining pathetically and pointing to the depths of the forests. Ben could only assume that she was bargaining, let her go and she won't hurt anyone. It was a sad and sorry sight but Ben was fuming, and he'd see to it that she saw sense before they left to go back to Bowerstone. He hadn't thought she'd needed 'fixing' a few weeks ago, but she was clearly deranged and he'd be the one to make her normal in the eyes of human society if it were the last thing he did.


	13. Tales Of Logan

Hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter, thank you to all the people who have reviewed so far :)

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Though she felt thoroughly terrified of him, she forged a connection with Walter that would be hard to rival, and once he'd let her back out of the cage, she stuck to his side morning, noon and nigh.

There was laughter throughout the village of Silverpines, as people called her the 'little lost puppy'. Few used her birth name, Alice, instead donning her with the title of 'Balverine Child'… one which did not go down well with the soldiers and it was only used in private conversation. She could hear people whispering it behind her back, and it upset her because thought they may see it as a derogatory term, to her it meant something completely different.

Balverines were the ones that had spared her, and she knew they did her a tremendous kindness as she'd seen what happened to the men who wandered into their territory, and it normally ended in death or a painful mutation. The Balverines had helped her grow, shown her what to do to survive in the wilderness, and had shown her love that these people… her own species… did not.

She couldn't find the right way to tell them this, so instead ignored their comments and stayed close to Walter, who showed her a little kindness and tried to understand more about her.

One of the things he'd noticed about her was that she didn't respond when someone did call her Alice, and it took raised voices to catch her attention. He'd tried asking her what she wanted to be called, but she couldn't tell him her name without using her mother tongue.

She just needed to find the right human sounds… but it was harder than everyone thought it was for her.

Currently she was sat in the large tent with Walter and Swift, at a table they'd brought in from another house, and was listening to Walter talk about someone called Logan. They didn't seem to like him, which was one of the first things she noticed about the way they spoke of him. Their voices lowered and the expressions on their faces were ones of mixed anger and dismay.

"Logan?" she asked quietly, repeating the name they had used so frequently, and they both jumped as if they'd forgotten she were there. Swift cleared his throat and looked at her seriously.

"He's the king of Albion" he started, but soon had to change tactics when he saw the perplexed look on her face. "He's… he's like the alpha male of everyone in the country. Silverpines, Bowerstone, the Dweller Camps. A lot of places you'll never have seen or heard of, they are all commanded by him."

She didn't know the names of the places he was speaking about, but she realised that this Logan person must be very powerful, gaining a bit more understanding of what the situation was, she realised that the way they spoke of him made it seem like they didn't like him. Years ago, their alpha had been Borjic, and he had been cruel and dangerous. She'd constantly been in danger, and he had come very close to killing her mother, when Drogo fought him, and managed to kill him. He'd become alpha then, and he's been much more fair when commanding the pack.

"He's… bad?" she asked. She knew that word too, because she was told a lot of the things that she did that the people didn't like were 'bad'.

"It isn't that he's bad… he used to be kind and fair… good… but recently he's become cruel and doesn't treat his people well" Walter explained, draining the dregs of alcohol from his cup and slamming it back down, smacking his lips.

"_Borjic was bad… we killed_ him" she said simply, turning her head slightly so she could look up at the full moon. She'd always thought it was beautiful. She and Drogo would go up to the highest point in Silverpines and watch it all night, talking quietly and making sure to stay out of sight of any late night wandering villagers.

"What?" She turned back to see Walter looking nonplussed, and she had to search quickly for their words to try and explain to them what she had said.

"Our alph-alpha… was bad" she said slowly, connecting her words clumsily. She couldn't think of the last word, so she waved her hand dismissively. She used what language she'd heard and understood from the villagers which seemed to fit the purposes of her meaning rather well. "He… _Drogo_… we murdered…"

She couldn't think of how to finish, and frustrating as it was, the other men seemed to understand where she was going with it.

There was a spluttering sound, and both the men had started laughing, and Daenerys looked around quickly to see them smiling brighter than she'd seen them before.

"As appealing as that notion sounds" Swift chuckled, wiping a tear form his eye "We can't kill Logan."

"Why?"

"It isn't like pack life, we have different… ideas in our society" Walter explained, and she felt her mouth drop into a small 'o' shape, before she dropped her head into her hands. She'd never understand how humans worked…


	14. Come To Bowerstone?

I'd like to thank peoples for reading this, and reviewing this and yeah :) I have a fair few chapters written ready for this so I should be updating more regularly from now on.

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They'd spent a month in the village of Silverpines before Swift approached her.

"My dear, I was wondering if I could have a word?"

Daenerys had been playing with loose threads on the clothes they'd forced her into today, as though she was intent on pulling them apart seam by seam. The colours intrigued her, she had to admit. It was like the earth and the leaves on the trees had their likeness imprinted within the soft cloth. When she'd heard Swift, she'd looked up and nodded slightly. He sat beside her, smiling warmly as he took one of her hands and clasped it between his.

"I would like to ask you to come to Bowerstone with us; Walter, Ben and I, I mean."

She opened her mouth to argue, not wanting to leave Silverpines… especially with that arrogant ass, Ben. Even if it meant being in this hell hole, she would sooner do that then go anywhere with him. Silverpines was her home, and she didn't want to leave, but Swift quickly raised one of his hands, and she shut up before even uttering a word.

"I understand that this is where you're used to being, and I know that you're more comfortable here… but there is a lot more of the world to see, which I think you'd quite enjoy, and you can always come back if you so wish to."

She stared at him for a moment, her green eyes wide and confused. She brushed a loose strand of her brown hair out of her face before she opened her mouth to speak.

"No."

"You want to go back to the Balverines?" Swift asked, and she bit her lip. She knew what he said then. Though she didn't answer, he could read her face.

He nodded quietly, then stood up with a sad smile on his face.

"And if you want to, I won't stop you… though I know someone who might object."

She turned her head slightly, and found herself looking into the pool blue eyes of Ben Finn, with his golden hair hanging loosely over his face, as it always did. Swift started walking away, despite her protests, and Ben sat down, grinning stupidly.

"You haven't graced me with your presence since you tried to strangle me, eh love?"

She felt her anger bubble up in her throat; a crude mix of bile and the spiteful words she knew. She turned her head pointedly away from him, though it felt as if those piercing blue eyes were boring into the back of her head, reading her thoughts.

"Still mad at me? That's fine you know, I've had people a lot angrier at me then you are right now."

"Hmm" she hummed, the corner of her mouth raising in a sneer as human sounds still felt strange in her throat. The way they dripped from her tongue was like tree sap; it just stuck her mouth together, and it didn't seem comprehensible.

"Can you believe that, or are you humouring me?" he laughed, leaning back and resting against the bench, his arms swinging up so one rested over the bench, and one slipped around her back. She didn't like him in her space, and growled warningly though the proximity made her cheeks flush red.

She didn't respond, only turning away again and shuffling further up the bench, curling her legs beneath her so she could bolt away if necessary.

"I didn't mean to offend you the other day you know, but you have to see it from my perspective" he started, catching her attention as he stretched, looking at her pointedly with a sideways glance. Icy blue met forest green, and they both narrowed their eyes. There was a spark of something there, though it felt something akin to hatred.

"You… murdered…" she hissed, flustering for words. She ended up pursing her lips trying to hold back a torrent of hate.

"It was kill or be killed, we had no choice" he snapped back, standing abruptly and towering over her. "The rest of the boys did away with your pack too, but you're not angry at them. Or did you have a sweet spot for that mangy, filthy mutt I shot?"

She flew into a rage then, screaming in outrage before striking him across the face, her nails leaving three parallel cuts there, and he snarled back, grabbing her wrist and twisting it back, making her yelp before she butted her head upwards, cracking his nose and making him stumble back upon himself. She took the offensive, diving after him again, ignoring the shouts and cries from onlookers as she punched into his stomach, only stopping when his hand reflexively came up to her throat and she was shoved off him roughly, rolled over onto her back and pinned to the floor.

She couldn't move as he straddled her, his weight resting on her stomach, and his strong arms pinning hers down. She screamed and tried kicking, but she couldn't and soon the angry screams turned into frustrated ones, and she spat many cuss words at him in her own language. He couldn't have known what they meant, but he gathered from her expression that what she was crying couldn't have been pleasant.

"_Murderer! You vile, cowardly little_-" she started, but a sharp slap across the face stopped her, and there was shocked silence all around as everyone looked at Ben, who had struck her across the face like a naughty child.

"Now you listen to me" he started, his chest heaving as he bottled what he could of his rage and frustration up, trying to remain calm and cool. "I've done a lot of things in my life I'm not proud of. Killing those Balverines… that's one of them. I ain't happy about it, but I'm not exactly losing sleep either. I'm _sorry_, okay?"

She gasped slightly, catching her breath as he lifted himself up slightly, easing the pressure and the constriction from her. She scrambled away quickly, and stared at him, both still sat on the cold ground. The villagers and soldiers alike had the sense to turn around and act like they hadn't seen anything, going back to menial tasks.

"I did what I was told to do," he continued, quieter this time as he shuffled forward slightly, still looking Daenerys in the eyes, the hatred in his softening to sympathy, empathy. "I saw… your friend about to attack my friends. I was protecting them, and I'm sure he would have done the same had it been the other way around. I was protecting _my_ family… _my pack_."

Danny couldn't argue with that logic, because it was deathly true. She gave a curt nod, before heaving herself up and looking into the trees in the distance. She longed to go back… this world wasn't for her, and she'd sooner be a Balverine than have to stay here another day.

"Home" she whispered again, tears prickling at her eyes. Ben looked on awkwardly, before swiftly changing the topic.

"I've never regaled you in the story of my youth have I?"

She turned to him, curious. There was a look upon his face, of such extreme sadness that she would have missed had she blinked, because no sooner had she noted it was there his expression changed again, and he looked as he normally did; cocky, self important and arrogant.

"It's a long, sad, sorry state of affairs..."

* * *

"It's… bad?" she asked him, and he chuckled slightly, nodding curtly.

"Yes, it's bad. But don't worry. I'll leave out the more risqué parts of the story for a later date."

She looked confused, and he chuckled slightly as he took her elbow and steered her back to the bench, then told her in brief about his childhood. About how he had grown up in a less than desirable little hamlet, about how his brothers were reduced to theft to keep alive, thought they were all killed in the end. How he never wanted to, but then turned to the less savoury pursuits of pirating, thieving and stacking books in Brightwall library, though he did have the good fortune to learn a little something from the books he glanced over there. He's been a gambler, a bodyguard and a waiter to name a few things – he had to explain the finer points of each profession and addiction to her, because she obviously had no clue what he was prattling on about – before he turned his life around and joined the army.

She was quiet at the end of his little tale, and she looked deep in thought for a moment, before she opened and closer her mouth, like some obscene fish.

For some unknown reason to Ben she turned pink, her cheeks flushed red and she lowered her head to avoid eye contact, though she peeked up at him through her lashes.

"In brief, my sweet, I'm trying to tell you that bad things happen to everyone, and sometimes they're self inflicted… we, um, we do it to ourselves… and – where was I? – oh yeah. Sometimes we can't help it. You have to do things you're not always happy about, but we learn from them and" he stopped, noticing the perplexed look on her face. "Please tell me you know where I'm going with this."

"No" she said, shaking her head. He laughed and winked casually at her, making her narrow her eyes.

"I was going the long way about it... come to Bowerstone. You'll learn more about the world. It'll be good."

He watched as she turned this over in her mind, and felt more than smug as she groaned and stood up abruptly, shooting him one last look of contempt before stalking away, probably to talk to Swift.

He stayed sat on the bench, when Jammy limped over. The daft sod had only gone and sprained his bloody ankle again.

"Hurt yourself Jammy?" Be asked, as his friend and comrade dropped down next to him. "As per usual?"

"Yeah, fell over a rock this morning on patrol and landed in some hole. Ruddy Hobbes. Got out and killed the gits though."

"You just won't die will you?" Ben laughed, ruffling his own hair and winking at some girls who were staring over and making them erupt into fits of high pitched giggles. Ben had never been one for girlish giggles; they annoyed him more than anything, but he hadn't had 'any' in some time and if they were setting out in the morning, he's quite like to make his mark on the village of Silverpines.

"You just won't stop will you?" Jammy asked, scoffing at Bens' silent flirting.

"Not any time soon mate."

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**Thanks for reading so far, and please drop me a message or a review or something. Constructive criticism is always welcome.**


	15. Ben's Affairs

Aha, thanks to the people that reviewed, it's very much appreciated. I'm gonna start churning these chapters out, probably maybe two a week since I have 60 already written up :p As always, I hope you enjoy

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She'd agreed to go with Swift and Ben to their town, Bowerstone, and had gone to bed early that night because apparently it was a long journey there, and she'd need to be well rested.

Actually sleeping was proving harder than she'd first thought it would be though, and she'd taken to crawling outside in the middle of the night, a blanket wrapped around her as she lay on the soft earth under the oak tree, staring through the branches and leaves up at the sky, counting the stars and trying to recall the names of the brighter ones that Drogo had taught her. It was a scuffle behind her which alerted her, making her eyes flicker wider and her body tense.

She rolled over, curling around the tree and keeping low to stay hidden. She almost relaxed again when she saw Ben, and was ready to go and greet him when he saw him pin a girl against the fence.

It looked strange, and like he was threatening her, but she was laughing shrilly, much to Daenerys' annoyance, which showed… if anything… that she was enjoying what Ben was doing. She watched curiously as their noses bumped together and their lips met. They were kissing she realised, the soft moans making her feel sick. It was like she was looking in on something she shouldn't be, but if it were meant to be private they wouldn't be out in the open, would they?

Biting her lip, she stayed low though she felt uncomfortable, her eyes widening when she saw Ben pulling up the girls clothes before fumbling with his own. It all clicked together in an instant and she bolted quickly, staying low but not being quiet enough as the girl shrieked and there was a crack like thunder. Something grazed across her arm and she yelped before blundering on, her arm on fire and tears blurring her vision.

When she stopped, cradling her arm and whimpering pathetically, she realised she was in the glade, curled up in the grass where she was sure Drogo had lain previously. Sadness overwhelmed her, then came an angry burst of jealousy for some unknown reason.

She was annoyed that he'd chosen that girl to mate with, because it just didn't seem right or fair. Drogo had killed Anakai, then Ben killed Drogo. Pack laws meant she was now Bens' – as much as that thought sickened her, she'd grown and been instilled with a respect for the ancient rules, and nothing would change that. She knew the human world was different, and being part of their species she should at least try to get accustomed to their ways, but it was hard. How could you forget things you'd learned and respected for years?

She was still sulking in the glade when Walter appeared from over the ridge to the village, followed closely by Swift, and a minute later – rather reluctantly – Ben showed up, standing at a distance and scuffing his shoes against a rock, looking like a naughty school boy, or a child who'd been caught doing wrong.

"You alright?" Walter asked, stooping in the grass and pulling her arm out, making her wince I pain as he inspected the wound. He chuckled slightly to himself before accepting a long thin bandage from Swift. "Yeah, you'll be fine. He barely nicked ya."

Danny didn't stop pouting though, and glared over at Ben who was looking over with wide pleading eyes, as if he knew what was coming next.

"So what happened?" Swift asked, watching Walter wrap her arm up but his eyes kept flickering to her face. He was reading her, and she almost squirmed under his piercing gaze.

"I… hurt" she said slowly while trying to think of a better way to put it. When nothing came to mind, she tried a different tactic and pointed at his gun.

"His gun? So he shot you" Swift said, his moustache bristling slightly as he turned to fix Ben with an icy glare. "You're meant to watch what you're bloody well doing boy! I thought you were a better shooter than that, just whipping it out where and whenever!"

Ben snorted with laughter, and had to hold his hands up in apology as he chuckled to himself. Swift muttered something to himself, and Walter rolled his eyes before picking up a rock and throwing it and him. Daenerys cocked her head slightly, not sure what Ben found so funny about it, and was about to question Walter when he stopped her.

"Don't ask… you're better off not knowing."

He pulled her to her feet, and she shook her head before following the three back to the town… there would be some things she'd never understand about these men.

"So what were you doing Ben? Normally you aim before you shoot that damn thing"

He sighed and turned to Walter, a bear of a man with enough facial hair to make you think he was somehow related to the not-so-cuddly beasts. He might be an intimidating man, but he was much more relaxed about things in the army. He didn't mind if you had a little fun with the local women when you stopped in towns.

"I was just getting to know a nice girl a little better" he laughed eventually, trying hard as he could to ignore the green eyes glaring at him. "It isn't like its illegal, and I didn't exactly know little miss over there was watching."

"Shut up, Ben" Walter warned.

Ben shrugged in reply, before wandering back through the gate to the village and pointedly ignoring the girl he was earlier romancing though she'd waited at the gate for him to return, giggling stupidly. She probably shared half a brain cell with that dopey friend of hers, who Jammy had the common sense to go indoors with. He chuckled, remembering watching them flip a coin as to who got him and who was stuck with ol' Jams. He'd probably give himself a concussion going at it he laughed to himself. That'd be something to talk about tomorrow.

In the meantime, he caught up with Alice who had started to wrap herself in a blanket and sit under the tree again, although when she saw him she stood and tried to walk away.

"Hold up sweetheart, I want to say something" he called, but she ignored him. He jogged and overtook her, grinning at the look of exasperation on her face and the things she growled in some other form of language. Balverine, he supposed.

She turned on her heel, walking back to the tree. He followed her still, and she ended up jumping higher than he'd thought a person could, latching onto a branch and pulling herself up; climbing quickly and gracefully. He watched her long legs move for a moment, smiling to himself as she stretched out, pushing her chest out as she climbed to the top of the tree. It was rather perverse, but he found watching her move very pleasing, and he would readily admit that to anyone – except her.

"You're making it hard to talk to you, you know?" he called up, and she ignored him again while she huddled up against the tree.

"Alright then, we'll do this the hard way" he muttered, slinging his gun off his back and dumping it on the floor, his sword joined it moments later. It took him a moment to find his grip, but soon he was climbing up the tree – albeit a lot slower – to join her and talk. She was watching him now, though she didn't move, her green eyes glinting in the minimal light like two emeralds. They seemed to light her face up too, and he paused for a moment to reflect on the fact that she was prettier than the annoying wench he'd had earlier, and he should have possibly made a move on her instead.

His hand had kept moving while he was distracted and instead of grabbing something solid and sturdy, he grabbed a handful of twigs which promptly splintered and broke when he was stupid enough to try and pull himself up with them and a wave of vertigo hit him as he felt himself fall backwards as if in slow motion, and then he was falling.

There was a loud crack as he hit the ground, and he moaned and writhed in pain. Tears had sprung to his eyes and he swatted them weakly out of the way as he squinted. There was a soft padding, and he opened one eye to see Alice hanging over him, smiling slightly.

"Stupid" she chuckled slightly. Ben smiled at the sound, it was much nicer than the other girls' laugh.

"You know love, if you're going to pull stunts like that-" he groaned, sitting up slightly and ignoring the thudding headache building up as he went on jokingly "-then I'm having serious second thoughts about our relationship."

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Please drop me a message, review, go mental.

You know you want to.


	16. Attacked In Millfields

I knew I said I'd only post perhaps twice a week, but I wanted to now, so here it is. Thanks for reading thus far :)

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The houses in Millfields were different to those in Silverpines. They were larger and cleaner and the people who lived in them wore clothes made of brighter colours and seemingly richer materials.

There was a large lake which all the houses were surrounding, and it glittered in the sunrise, colours Danny couldn't hope to describe. Then something caught her eye and she turned to see the largest house she'd ever seen across the lake, with a few people streaming out of the front entrance. The way they walked was strange; staggering and lumbering about… it confused her, and she turned to Ben who was riding alongside her in the cart.

"They're drunk" he said simply, and she gaped at him, before mouthing the word, turning it over in her mind. It wasn't like the other ones she heard from Ben and the other people. It seemed more coarse, even more so than their swearing, somehow. She couldn't start to fathom what it meant and she sat trying to figure it out for a good while before Ben and Jammy started laughing.

"Don't worry love, we'll explain it one day" he said, patting her knee while he beamed at her. She smiled back. Jammy wasn't as annoying as Ben could be sometimes, and though he would joke a round a lot with Ben, he seemed to understand when to stop. She liked Jammy; she believed he was a good friend.

The cart they were sat in rumbled across the dirt track, the creature at the front kept snorting as it tugged it along and each time it did, Daenerys jumped slightly and would sneer at it. She didn't like it, whatever it was. The only reason she didn't launch at it was because it was large and strong, and she wasn't a Balverine.

"Keep your wits about you men, there are generally a few mercenaries around these parts" Swift called, taking his gun from his back and loading it. She didn't know what a 'mercenaries' was, but it couldn't be nice with the way all the men took out their weapons and she air suddenly felt thick with tension.

The travelled up a hill into a thicker part of the woods surrounding the area, and the cart rattled and swayed more as the track became uneven and rockier. The only sounds were the creatures feet clacking against the rocks, and the sound of breathing… then Danny heard a twig snap, something the other men didn't, and she shot up, looking through the trees at a man crouched low to the ground.

Then there were more, and they ran out screaming and crying out viciously and snarling, Danny leapt backwards away from them, scared witless as Ben, Swift, Walter and the others all charged back at them. They fired their weapons and the sound of thunder crashed all around her. She yelped slightly about to run for the safety of the woods, like she'd always been taught, when one of the other men grabbed her around her waist, pressed his weapon to her head and laughed cruelly.

"I got me a toy!" he snarled, the people in his pack laughing along with him, just as cruel as he was. Danny tried scrambling and fighting against him, though he was too strong. Ben heard her frantic screams and swore loudly when he saw she was being drug back into the woods.

For a second, Danny fell limp, and the man loosened his grip on her. In that moment, she swung her body up, contorting herself until she was doubled up, her legs wrapped around his head and she twisted back violently until she heard a satisfying snap, and the man dropped to the ground like a sack of rocks… dead.

She went right into the offensive, snarling viciously at the strange men like the one she just killed. They saw her stance and most of the weapons they had pointed her way, and they all shot as she leapt up, clinging onto the lowest branch she could catch of the tree above her and swinging herself up, diving to another branch as fast as she could as they continued shooting at her. Her distraction was giving Ben and his company time to kill the men who had turned away, and when the mercenaries turned back to fight the army Danny dove from the tree and knocked one of the larger enemies flying. She managed to roll away, as he tumbled into a tree, cracked his head open and started bleeding heavily.

The rest of the enemies were driven away, and Ben quickly steered Danny back into the cart, sitting her down while looked shocked and slightly scared. He had a cut across his face, which she reached up slightly to graze her fingers across. He didn't wince or flinch away, but stared at her quietly with those brilliant blue eyes.

"She's a ruddy fighter, she is" Walter huffed, pulling himself into the cart across from Danny, scrutinising her with his dark brown eyes under those thick eyebrows.

"Did you see when she snapped his neck?!" one of the younger boys cried, turning and punching his friend in the arm.

"Tell you something, if I was gonna die like that I'd be a happy man" his friend replied, grinning crookedly. "Those legs wrapped around my head-"

Swift hit him on the back of the head, saying nothing but giving him a stern look as Ben glowered, sitting pointedly between Danny and the boy.

Soon enough the cart rumbled back into life and they continued their way along the road they passed through the trees without any more interruption, passing large fields full of flowers and wheat and corn, the air smelled sweeter than Danny ever imagined it could and a small smile danced across her lips while she looked around at all the beautiful colours; more vivid and vibrant than any she'd seen before.

* * *

Ben had watched her fight. She was primal and animalistic and violent, though even when she snapped that blokes' neck and leapt away snarling she still looked attractive. He combed his fingers through his hair, smirking at himself. He always had a knack for finding dangerous women, though Alice might just have topped the charts.

He watched her vaguely as her head twisted about, her green eyes wide as she tried to take in everything around her. She was a long way from home, and he knew all this would be new to her. It looked a lot nicer than Silverpines, obviously, and there wasn't the constant overhanging sense of dread and danger.

If her eyes could have gotten wider, they just did. She'd spotted the walls around Bowerstone and had jumped up out of her seat with a look of complete wonder written across her face and she completely ignored the men around her chuckling at her reaction.

Part of her reminded him of a small child, the way she beamed at everything new to her. Her eyes seemed to twinkle that bit brighter as they passed under the archway, but soon she looked appalled at the amount of people moving about within the city walls, and she twisted in her seat to look at Ben with confused eyes.

"No" she said quietly, her voice barely a squeak.

"Yes" he replied quietly back, laying a hand on her shoulder and pressing down slightly to keep her from bolting off, which she most likely would do.

She looked small and frightened and she shut her eyes and ducked her head as she tried to block out the noise of the town. Ben felt suddenly sorry for her, and moved his arm slightly so it was around her back, and she leant into him. She was trembling against him, and kept muttering 'no' quietly.

"It's okay love, it's okay" Walter said quietly, clasping her hand between his when he saw how frightened she looked, and gave Ben a small look of shared apprehension. If she wasn't calmed down properly, then she could be more trouble than they could handle, and would probably be a danger to herself and others if she ran for it.

The cart jerked to a halt, the horse whinnied and snorted as it shook its mane out. Alice scowled, making it obvious she didn't like the animal.

The men piled out, and when Ben jumped off the cart Alice followed, teetering slightly before she huddled close to him again staring around with wide frightened eyes.

"It might have been a terrible folly to bring her here…" Swift muttered to Walter and Ben while Alice shook her head, glaring at people who stared at her too long. "People will think her simple, or deranged."

"They're not going to like her any which way" Walter agreed, stroking his beard thoughtfully. Ben frowned, his lips thinning into a downwards line, looking at the girl as she wrapped her arms around her chest, as if comforting herself.

"She isn't likely to like them either…" he started, then chuckled to himself. "Tell you what, I have a place in Industrial. It isn't swanky, but it's quiet and she might be able to get some sleep and calm down a bit. What do you think?"

His response was a simple shrug from his two superiors, who turned to start ordering the other men to unpack the cart and treat any wounds that they might have from the fight with the mercenaries.

Ben took the chance to take Alice's hand, and lead her away from the bustle of the marketplace, down to the embankment and down a path that lead to another part of the city.

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Thanks for reading guys, please review for me :)


	17. Sleeping

This is more just a filler in chapter, and I'd like to thank my readers for reading and my reviewers for reviewing! Hope you all enjoy this wee update and I should be sticking another chapter up here in the space of the next week :)

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"Welcome to my humble abode!"

Ben grinned as Alice walked in, looking around the small room. It was the attic of a row of ups and downs, and they'd climbed the steel ladder at the side of the building to climb in through the hatch in the roof. If you lived in Bowerstone Industrial… hell, if you lived in Bowerstone, then you wouldn't expect much from a home like this one. But Ben had changed the layout, ripped some of the roof out to install some windows to bring life to the place.

There was a double bed in the corner… well, no bed really, just a pile of comfy mattresses he'd stacked up. Blankets had been thrown over them, making it look more like a nest, and beside the makeshift bed there was a chest of draws that he stored all his clothing in. There was a small stove against the opposite wall, along with a counter to prepare food on and a small set of side draws that he'd shoved his bits of cutlery and crockery in.

The table was in the middle of the room, small as it was, with two plush chairs facing one another at opposite sides of the table instead of dining chairs. Books were scattered throughout the room, and a thin layer of dust covered everything as he'd been away for a month and a half.

Alice hummed slightly, stepping gingerly through the room and brushing her fingers against the table, before leaning carefully on one of the armchairs then letting herself sink into it.

"Happy?" he asked, kicking his boots off before lounging in the other chair, swinging his feet up onto the table to relax.

"Yes," she sighed, curling up into the soft cushions.

He'd been wondering about her for a while, because she seemed to have a good grasp of what he said, but she wouldn't give coherent answers and when she did speak it was always one word.

"Hey, Alice" he said, and she looked up at him through half lidded tired eyes. "You do understand what I'm saying right?"

She huffed slightly, curling tighter into a ball before replying, "Yes."

"Then say something. More than yes or no."

"No."

"Why? What's so hard about it?" he muttered, shoving himself further back into his chair and sulking.

Looking up at him, Daenerys focused on his eyes. They were an amazing blue, and she couldn't get past how intensely he could stare at her. She understood a lot of what people said… bar a few words that were used that were new to her.

There was always something that annoyed her though, and it was the fact that he always called her 'Alice'. That wasn't her name and the fact that everyone called her that annoyed her so much.

"I… no Alice" she said quietly, spitting the strange words out with the slightest bit of venom.

"Come again?"

She watched as he sat up a little bit, fixing his eyes on hers. He seemed more alert, more involved, and a smile tugged the corners of his lips up.

"No Alice" she repeated, louder stronger and more confidently, pointing to herself while shaking her head.

He laughed, beaming at her and standing suddenly. Startled, she matched his movements and they were stood opposite one another with only the table separating them.

"That's more than one word! Brilliant!" he cried, standing on the table then stepping off on her side, clasping his hands on either of her shoulders. "Say more."

She gasped and gaped at him, feeling like she'd been put on the spot.

"I… what?" she asked, furrowing her brows and looking at him questioningly.

"Tell me your name for a start" he suggesting, grinning crookedly. "If you're not Alice, who are you?"

"_Daenerys_" she said, but it came out in her mother tongue, and she snapped her mouth shut angrily, slightly ashamed that she couldn't tell him her own name without sounding like a Balverine. He seemed to sense her discomfort, because he took a step back and ruffled her hair slightly.

"We'll get there eventually…" he said softly, then gestured to the bed lazily "you should get some sleep. There's probably a long day ahead of you."

She nodded slightly, trudging lazily to the bed and crawling on top of the mattresses, curling up in the blankets. She watched Ben sit down with one open eye, and he relaxed back into the chair smiling slightly.

"_Daenerys_" she whispered, before drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

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Don't be afraid to drop a review or a message, any feedback is welcome!


	18. The Forest Dress

Here's another chapter! I said I'd get them out pretty sharpish, did I not? well here it is and I hope you enjoy it!

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She was shaken awake by Ben the following morning, and had barely crawled out of the blankets before he was pressing a bowl of warm milk and oats into her hands.

"Its porridge" he said, then at her perplexed look continued with an explanation "it's food," he explained, helping himself to a spoonful but grimaced because of it's bitter flavour. She smiled slightly, knowing it couldn't taste as good as he was trying to let on, and watched as he dumped a load of sugar over the porridge, spooning more into his mouth and nodding appreciatively. "And now it's good, if you have a sweet tooth," he finished with a smile and reluctantly she smiled back and lifted the spoon to her mouth, tucking in.

"It's a busy day today, we're going up to the castle and… well no offence love, but you need to be on your best behaviour. Walter arranged for you to get some new clothes and then we'll go up."

She only nodded along numbly, wondering what in Albion a castle was, and how she'd get new clothes… the ones she was wearing had been given to her by the villagers of Silverpines. She must be going somewhere special if she needed brand new clothes.

They ate and she listened to Ben ramble on to her vaguely, not really paying attention, before they made their way down the ladder and through Industrial to get to the market place.

She was pulled into a small shop on the corner of a row of buildings and after Ben had explained what the occasion was the man behind the counter pulled her behind a screen. She tensed as the men put a piece of tape around her waist and bust and other parts of her body while Ben watched on with some discretion to make sure nothing happened that shouldn't.

"Alright dear, and what colour would you prefer?" he asked, smiling kindly. "We also have a selection of materials too."

Startled, Danny looked at Ben who coughed slightly.

"She, um… she's a mute" he said, and the man stumbled over a hasty and generally ignored apology. Instead she was told to pick a colour from a selection of pretty dresses, and the one she chose was a pale green chiffon dress, and as she lifted it in her hands she was surprised to find it was very light, floating gently down from her hands as she dropped and caught the hem. It was almost like air, and she examined it slowly, taking in all the minute details. Around the hem of the dress there were many leaves sewn in delicate dark green silk thread, winding up one side of the dress and stopping at the waist where the vine met a long dark green silk sash. The man offered her a pair of dark green slippers too, and she took them before turning to Ben, looking at him questionningly.

"Can she wear it out?" Ben asked quickly, checking the time on the clock tower in the square, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Of course my good sir," the tailor bowed, and guided Danny behind the screen again but motioning for a girl to come and help her change clothes. Secretly she was glad of this, because she had no idea how to unfasten all the ties and buttons and clasps on either dress, and she certainly hadn't the foggiest of how to tie them all back up again. The girl who helped her was fast and skilled in this, and her fingers moved nimbly and swiftly until she was changed and looking presentable.

When she appeared from behind the screen, Ben was watching her with a mix of wonder and admiration on his face, which smoothed out into his normal kind face in seconds as he turned to the man and paid, thanking him.

"Well, don't you look pretty" he said on the way out of the shop and through the square, heading up a hill towards possibly the largest thing Danny could have ever imagined seeing in her life. It was a mountain carved into spikes and walls and windows, white as the clouds it scraped against.

"Pretty?" she asked, snapping out of her daze to take notice of what Ben was saying.

"You look very good" he explained "It's a good thing, it's nice."

"Oh" she said quietly, trying the word again.

"And if someone says you look 'pretty', 'beautiful' or 'nice' you are to say 'thank you'. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"And if they say anything bad, you move and I'll hit them. Okay?"

"Okay..."

"Off we go then" he smiled, taking her arm and leading her through a pair of wrought iron gates.

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Sorry for the short chapter (again) I swear the next one is longer. Don't be afraid to review/message, it's always welcome.


	19. Meeting The King

Hey guys, I'm posting this late Sunday night before I go to sleep. I'm shattered, but I wanted to post this up for people. Hope you all enjoy and I'd appreciate it if you could review :)

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She tensed up as the King stepped slowly towards her, inspecting her. He looked like a Balverine himself as he circled her, and she looked like a poor little dear that was about to be ripped to shreds.

"So this is that Balverine Child you spoke of, Walter?" he asked when he came to face her again. He looked unimpressed, and he crossed his arms. "She looks like a common girl if you ask me."

Ben wanted to hit him then, but he knew he'd be in front of a firing line if he did so instead bit his tongue and clenched his fist.

"No my King, she's grown up with Balverines. She's like one of them, but she's also civil."

"Oh, so she's a pet then? A pet Balverine girl… how amusing" he chuckled slightly, stepping towards her, and instinctively she took a small step away, her eyes wide and scared. "Tell me, what is your name?"

He was addressing her then, and she looked about wildly until she saw Ben in the small crowd of people in the Kings' room. She pleaded him with her eyes to say something, do something, and he puffed out his chest slightly, before stepping forward.

"Sire, if I may-" he started, but Logan cut him off.

"You may not."

"But she can't speak much of our language" he continued, trying to make Logan understand. But the man was well past listening, and held up his hand in annoyance, ordering Ben to stop.

"No more from you, or I'll have you flayed."

Ben shut his mouth, stepping back in line with the other men and shooting a small dejected look at his friend who stood there, frightened as a mouse.

"I'll ask again. Girl, what is your name?"

For a second she floundered for an answer, before hanging her head and whispering in her own tongue;

"_Daenerys_."

There was silence, and though Logan was probably the only one who heard her, he leaned forward again, closer to her.

"Louder" he prompted, and she held her head up and spoke stronger.

"_Daenerys. I am Daenerys_."

An excited murmur ran through the hall, and Logan looked pleased but for a second before he slid the look of an unimpressed man back on his face.

"So you really are bred a Balverine…" he turned sharply to Walter who was shifting his weight to the balls of his feet. "Does she fight like one?"

"Well, sire, she killed a mercenary bare handed, and can be pretty damn fierce."

"Good… five hundred gold to the man who can run her through, any takers?"

Ben roared out in disgust and anger as about five men stepped forward as they unsheathed their swords. The entirety of the Swift Brigade was being held back by Logan's elite guards as the others in the guard made their advance on the poor girl who stood staring wide eyed and terrified.

"Fight! Skorm be damned, kill them!" Ben roared to her, not knowing what to call her anymore. He'd kill Logan for this, he'd slaughter that bastard.

Something in the nameless girl twigged and she crouched low suddenly, baring her teeth and scowling at the oncoming guards. A few of them faltered, knowing Balverines to be fierce creatures and not trusting their luck, but one sod carried on and grinned stupidly as he did so.

"Come 'ere you daft bitch" he called and laughter rang about. Ben shot a look up to Walter who was pleading with Logan to call this off. He was ignored and the King watched on, his dark eyes fixed on the Balverine Child, his hand brushing casually through his hair.

Looking back, he watched as the first attacker lifted his sword, and as he slashed it down at her, she rolled backwards, then leapt up at him, throwing him backwards and cracking his head upon the marble steps up to the throne. Grabbing his sword which lay fallen beside him, she twirled around to look at the other men. Ben knew she had no idea how to use a sword, and thanked Avo quickly that she had the sense not to pick it up at the blades end. She didn't swing it however, she threw it with scarily precise definition and skewered another man, killing him.

Guns were then out, and she jumped up to catch the chandelier, crawling up to sit atop it and making it swing wildly. Bullets ricocheted off the gold chandelier and she crouched lower to the metal, staring down at Ben who was fighting to get through and stop the chaos, Swift who was doing the same and Walter who was shouting at Logan to stop this madness.

Grabbing hold of the chain she pulled a pin and sent the light crashing down, crushing two more men and leaving the last to pull a dagger from his belt, his sword useless and his gun out of ammo. If he could throw this right, he'd be five hundred gold in pocket.

He didn't count on her dropping down and landing on his shoulders, her thighs gripping his head and then feeling some strange jerking sensation before she killed him.

"Enough" Logan commanded as another three men stepped forward. He drew his own gun, and aimed at the girl. She froze instantly, knowing not to attack this man; he would kill her in a heartbeat. Her chest was pounding as her heart ran a mile a minute. He didn't shoot though, instead holstered the gun slowly and extended a hand to the girl, picking her up off the floor.

"You're a good fighter" he mused, waving to some other guards to pick up the dead bodies as she trembled in front of him, glancing quickly to Ben who was still struggling to get through the guards to her. "I could have a use for you…"

Ben wanted to kill him, and was about to shout at him to get the hell off her when the doors burst open, and a guard stood there breathless. The room stood still, staring at him in complete silence.

"Sire! There's a protest outside the castle" he gasped, pointing behind him to the front doors were a loud booing and chanting could be heard. Every eye in the room trained back to Logan, who stood deep in thought for a moment before shrugging slightly with a look of disdain etched upon his sallow face.

"Walter, get my chief commanders and meet me in the War Room" he said simply, before turning to the rest of the crowd who were stood stock still. "You can all leave."

It wasn't an invitation to leave, it was an order.

The King still held tight to Daenerys, and she whimpered as his fingers dug in, making welts in her forearm. She pulled slightly, trying to ease her way away from him when he looked back at her, as if he'd just remembered she was there.

"Major, come here" he called to Swift, who marched up and saluted to the King.

"What is your will, Sire?" he asked, casting a furtive glance at Danny who stared at him in return.

"Mourningwood is overrun with Hollow Men. Take your brigade to the Mourningwood Fort and clear as many of them out as you can."

Swift looked stricken and his moustache bristled slightly.

"But Sire, Mourningwood is a place of spirits and graveyards… we couldn't possibly clear out the Hollow Men, there would be too many."

"Then I expect it will take you a while" Logan said, smirking somewhat cruelly. "And take this delightful creature with you, I expect a Balverine Child would do well against a few Hollow Men."

Swift flustered slightly, but Logan stared him down and all he could do was nod curtly and mutter an agreement. Danny sighed in relief when Logan's long thin fingers let go of her arm and she took a small step towards Swift before Ben came storming up.

"That bastard" he seethed, his eyes blue slits and his ears red with rage. "How could he-? Agh, he's just-"

"Shut up, Ben! Remember where you are and who might be listening" Swift snapped, then turned and motioned for his troop to all come closer. There were about forty men altogether, tired and hungry and more than annoyed when Swift relayed the orders he had been given to his men.

"Mourningwood to clear out Hollow Men?" one boy cried, horror and disgust written on his face. Swift only nodded, and Ben – who had been rubbing his temple furiously – looked up with an expression of one who had had a stroke of inspiration.

"Swifty, didn't you send Lieutenant Simmons off with another twenty men to clear Hobbes out of Old Quarter's sewers last month? Couldn't you get them to come too?"

"We'd be another twenty-one men strong then…" Swift mused, and nodded. "Yes, Private Jammy, go find Simmons from whatever pub he's drunk himself stupid in and tell him we're setting off tonight."

"Yes sir!" Jammy replied, before leaving quickly.

Danny watched quietly as Ben and Swift turned back to her.

"She can't come Swift" Ben started, but Swift cut him off.

"She's grown up with stronger creatures than Hollow Men, and His Highness commanded she come too."

"She'll get killed!" Ben protested, making Danny furrow her brow and look at him reproachfully. She'd just beaten five men with weapons; surely these Hollow Men couldn't be too much different. They were men after all…

"She'll be fine Ben, but she can't well get to Mourningwood in a dress. Go suit her up, she'll need something warmer."


	20. A New Name

Another chapter :) please enjoy

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Ben had to find her several pairs of sturdy trousers, along with a good few shirts and then loaned a smaller red jacket from one of the slighter men of the Swift brigade. It was still far too big on her, and she looked positively lost in it, but he laughed that she'd be able to fit more layers on underneath it.

She lumbered along for a while, trying to get used to the feel of the trousers and boots, which she hadn't ever worn before. He'd snapped at an old man in the Market when she'd tromped through after him for saying she looked slow. She had the sense to grab his arm and pull him on before he clocked the old geezer, and soon enough they had joined the rest of the brigade and a merry faced man with a copious amount of hair and a twisted moustache was beaming at them both.

"If it isn't little Benny!" he guffawed, clapping Ben on the back. Before Ben could respond, Simmons had turned to the girl stood quietly in front of him and grasped her hands warmly. "And you must be the lovely Alice I've heard so much about! You'll have to tell us your little secret to befriending Balverines" he winked.

She gaped slightly, before nodding and whispering her usual quiet 'yes'. Ben noticed, probably where no one else had, her right eye twitch slightly. She really didn't like being called Alice. He'd have to stamp that one out, but it would be difficult to address her if she didn't have a name.

"Major" he called above the ruckus of men piling sacks into the back of a cart, while also trying to sound like a subordinate and not a friend – though he was. "Can I have a word?"

"Of course Ben, but quickly" Swift replied, running his fingers through his already ruffled dark hair.

"Well… Alice doesn't like being called Alice" he started, realising he sounded stupid. "She's got a name, but she can't tell me what it is… yet."

"Right… well we'll sort that out later" Swift grumbled, chucking his own sack of belongings into the cart.

Ben chucked his own sack in the cart, then watched as she threw hers in, mimicking his actions. Swift got them all in line and told them where to go, and soon enough they were tromping through the streets to Industrial and then out into open fields.

Ben couldn't help but watch the girl at his side. She seemed to relish in the outdoors and the wild and the country. She wasn't someone to be kept inside city walls at all, and he felt slightly guilty for convincing her to come along. She'd been attacked and bullied more since leaving Silverpines more than he'd like to think, and half wanted to turn around and take her there before facing Mourningwood. She'd have been with Balverines, and though they obviously weren't her own species she fit in with them better than she fit in with people.

Deciding to break the awkward silence, he coughed slightly to catch her attention and then smiled.

"We'll have to figure out your name, love" he said, and she nodded slightly, before something in Balverine slipped out of her mouth. It always sent chills down his spine, something so crude shouldn't come from her mouth.

"We'll have to find the right sounds for you… or go through every female name known."

She giggled slightly, and it sounded sweet and musical and he smiled slightly at the sound. Jammy turned and gave him a crooked grin and a few of the men around them smiled too. It was an infectious sound, and he wondered how she could laugh so nicely when she'd grown up with monsters. He daren't ask though, she'd rip his throat out.

"Amber? Jessica?" he started, watched as she pulled a face and shook her head 'no', "Sara… Alicia?"

"No" she spat, her lip curling up at the sound of the names.

"Belinda? Catherine? Carmine?"

"No, no, no" she laughed back.

Sighing, Ben decided to take on another tactic.

"Perhaps we should go through the alphabet?"

"Or the names of every girl you've slept with" Jammy chuckled, earning himself a sharp thwack around that back of his head.

She looked at him, confused, and he explained that she could spell her name out to him by finding similar sounds to those she was used to. She bit her lip slightly, considering it, then nodded and said 'yes', agreeing with him.

They got to 'D' when she waved her arms slightly, and Ben pondered for a minute, thinking of girls' names that started with 'D'. She grinned when they'd gotten to that letter, because the sound of it and the feel of it didn't feel too alien to her. They were very similar to her own language.

"Dabria? Darcy? Daisy? Debora?" Ben started, she shook her head again, and then Jammy turned around.

"Doreen?" she shook her head again, and Jammy carried on "Diana, Dree, Dionne?"

"No" she said, furrowing her brow again, looking slightly overwhelmed.

"Dilys?" Swift called back, joining in. "There's Dolores?"

"No" she called back to him, and he shrugged slightly and went back to thinking of more names.

"Dezarea" another man called.

"No."

"Dawn?"

"No…"

People mumbled that they were giving up then, that how were they meant to know a Balverine name. She shrugged as if she couldn't blame them at all. Then Simmons called out.

"Danielle?"

"Danielle?"

She felt her heart leap slightly, and looked up nodding slightly, then she shook her head. It sounded right, but wrong at the same time. They weren't her sounds, they were a much cruder version, something cubs would gibber before they learned to speak. Danielle was close.

"Danielle?" Ben asked her, and she bit her lip slightly before shaking her head slightly. "Is it close?"

"Yes" she agreed, and pondered on the name for a while. Danielle didn't sound as bad as Alice, but it wasn't right. Daenerys was her name, but the start of that name sounded about right.

"Dan" she said slowly, and it fell off her tongue quickly, not feeling wrong at all. It was pleasant. "Dan... _Daenerys_"

It was a step backwards, and while she watched Ben shiver she bit her lip. She needed their sounds. Looking about wildly, she pointed at a large boulder.

"Rock?" Ben laughed. It wasn't right at all. That was a _carraig. _It went on like that. She learned new words as she went along. Road, water, tree, grass. She wafted her arms up, gesturing around them.

"This?" she asked, and Ben looked confused for a moment, before Swift coughed and said quietly;

"Air?"

And that was it. _Aer_ in her language, air in theirs, while the sounds were so similar and so close to her name.

"Dan, air, this" she listed, hoping they understood.

All she received was confused looks, so she tried again, the last sound wasn't quite right.

"Dan, air, is" she started again, and it was right. It was crude and course and completely below her level of speech, but it was human, and they understood her words now. "Danairis" she said quicker, making it sound as close to Daenerys as possible.

"Danairis?" Ben muttered, showing he didn't think much of the name. She frowned at him, and he bit his lip before offering an alternative, a happy medium.

"Danny?" Ben suggested, and she nodded quietly, smiling slightly. "Least we have a name for you now, eh?"

"Yes" she agreed, smiling a little wider. She was happy to have a name they could use for her, and it seemed to cheer Ben up too, he smiled wider at her and nodded his head.

They walked along in silence, though it was considerably more pleasant than before since they'd overcome the hurdle of her name. There was a small mumble throughout the troops as they walked, but Danny was too busy looking around the vast fields to pay attention.

After the small pleased feeling of having established a name, there was something else tightening in her stomach and she felt apprehensive. Something wasn't right, and the air felt too tense. It might have been an instinct she'd developed growing up as part of a pack, but she knew there was an enemy around, and she just had to listen for them.

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Feedback is always welcome, thanks all :)


	21. Kali

I've decided to bang these chapters up now, I'm getting near the end I think and I should be spewing these out faster than what I am :) Please review, it's always nice to know what people think.

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She couldn't hear anything from where she was stood, because all the men were talking louder and laughing more and hadn't kept their guard up. They were sitting ducks if they relaxed more.

She quickly sat on the nearest wall, slipping as the stone crumbled slightly from under her, and she pulled off her boots and threw them to Ben who watched her with a perplexed look on his face.

"Danny, what-?" he started asking but she'd turned and vaulted the wall before he could finish, and was skirting through the long grass as low to the ground as she could get.

"Oi!" Ben yelled, dropping the boots and leaping over the wall after her, but not coming closer. She peeked back slightly and he was stood there watching her head bob through the grass, and thankfully he'd had the sense to get his gun out.

She carried on, slower and quieter, crushing herself against the ground as she crept forward, then a familiar smell filled her nostrils.

Balverines.

How she'd come to associate their sound and smell with enemies she didn't know, but she stood up, turned and bolted back to the soldiers. The sound of snarls and howls ripped through the air and there were wolves suddenly there snapping at her feet.

"_Off me_!" she snapped at them, confusing them so they tripped and rolled in the dirt, before standing again and chasing her. The sound of thunder filled the air and she could feel cold yellow eyes on her, and then something tackled her to the ground, and she looked up into a familiar – albeit angry – face.

"_Kali_?"

He had been Drogo's beta, and a close friend of theirs. She quickly assumed he was now the alpha of what was left of their pack, but had to wonder why he was so far away from Silverpines.

"_Daenerys_?"

The paused and looked at each other, before a delighted smile broke across her face and he yipped happily. She jumped up and embraced him and he rolled backwards while nuzzling her head. He'd been like a second brother to her, as most of Drogo's friends were, but Kali had been the kindest to her when she was a child, more so than Drogo had been. He called for the others to leave the men alone, and the firing stopped when the soldiers saw her with Kali.

"_We thought you'd been killed when we found Drogo,_" he explained, his yellow eyes dimming slightly.

"_No… but I've been living with them… you see the one with gold hair nearest to us_?"

"_Yes_"

"_He's been taking care of me,_" she said with a small smile.

Kali smiled slightly, getting up with her and trotting over to the soldiers. Each of them looked uneasy, and she noted that Swift had turned white as each of the Balverines got closer. Kali approached Ben, who tensed and took a small step back, looking at Danny with wide eyes.

"Call him off," he pleaded, his voice barely above a whisper as Kali started sniffing at him.

"_He doesn't trust you_" Danny laughed, placing a hand gently on Kali's shoulder and steering him away.

"_I know_" Kali said, donning a toothy grin which made some of the soldiers tense or back away slightly. He then shut his mouth and looked at Daenerys, as if considering something. "_He is taking care of you_?"

"_Yes_…" she answered slowly, confused at his sudden change in mood.

"_Good… you belong with them_" he said, standing up on his haunches before whistling the other Balverines and wolves away. "_They're your species Daenerys, and this one will treat you well_."

He turned and loped away, and she watched him go with a sudden sadness welling up in her chest, and tears welling up in her eyes. She barely noticed Ben lay a hand on her shoulder and start leading her back into the line and along the path. He was shaking slightly, but remained stoic faced for her benefit, if nothing else.

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"That was… good the way you got them to leave us."

She mumbled a small agreement, and Ben bit his lip slightly, thinking of how to carry on and trying furiously to ignore the incredulous looks from the soldiers closest to them.

"Why didn't you go with them?" he asked quietly "You knew them, right?"

He watched as tears filled her eyes, and stopped quickly, waving the stragglers away so he could talk to her.

"Yes… but he- he told me no," she choked out, tears running down her face. He wiped them away hastily, and shushed her. He'd never been able to handle a crying woman, it always pained him to watch and he felt doubly helpless then because he had no idea what had been said between Dan and the Balverine. What surprised him most was the sudden ability she had with his own language. It was unfortunate that it took a heart wrenching situation to elicit Anglican from her.

"Shh, don't cry love, don't cry," he pleaded quietly, brushing his thumbs under her eyes to wipe the tears away again. "There's no need to get upset now, please Danny."

"No," she agreed, then chuckled slightly and pressed her head into his chest. He looked up quickly to see the troops had rounded a corner and couldn't see them. He wrapped his arms around her gently and smiled bitterly at the thought that if Jammy knew he was being such a soft arse he'd laugh. So much for having a reputation as a ladies man, if one teary eyes girl could reduce him to such a sentimental mess.

After a moment of hugging her awkwardly, he coughed and pulled away to give her a small grin and nod towards the path.

"We should get on…"

"Yes, we should," she agreed, smiling at him and wiping her eyes once more to clear out the last of the tears.

They walked silently side by side until they could see the men trekking into the woods.


	22. Mourningwood Fort

And another chapter. I decided to post this one since I recieved the KINDEST review from Death-Note-Fan01. Thank you greatly!

Hope you enjoy, and please leave a review, anything is welcome :)

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They'd been stationed at the Mourningwood Fort for a about two months now, and two thirds of their men had been slaughtered by the onslaught of Hollow Men that terrorised them at night.

Ben clutched his gun close to him, standing atop the fort walls on watch. He was struggling to keep his eyes open during the day as at night the dead would rise and attack them all. He was a sharpshooter, and was generally the one picking them off in the masses before they actually got inside the fort.

It was a depressing day; last night they'd had to bury Simmons and two other men who were either too tired or too slow to get away from the Hollow men. Simmons had actually been killed by a stray mortar ball, fired by a Hollow man who took hold of it from Jammy.

"You're tired aren't you?" he heard someone say through the thick drowsiness he'd found himself in, and jumped up to salute at whoever it was. Them being Danny. He'd taken to calling her Danny more often than Dan or Danairis, because one sounded too masculine and the other sounded like a strange garbled mess of words. She'd liked it better too.

"A little," he admitted, not bothering to stifle the yawn that followed. "I'm knackered after last night…"

"Yeah…" she agreed with a mumbled, frowning "It isn't the same around here without Simmons…"

"Mhm."

She leant against the patched up wooden wall which was in the place of the old stone which had collapsed, looking out to the old deserted barracks. He'd noticed how her language had come along, and she could now speak in quite fluent sentences. She still muttered things at him in Balverine like growls, probably insults, but he didn't care much. She was also fiercer in a fight. If killing five elite guards in a fight was something, then the way she charged through Hollow Men and came out the other end without a scratch put her on par with some of the best damn fighters there ever were.

"You go to sleep for a while, I'll take this watch and you can take my next one or something," she suggested, smiling at him. He smiled back slightly, and shook his head.

"No, I can't let you do that…"

"Okay then," she sighed, yawning while she stretched out her limbs and turning to look off the platform. Jammy was stumbling along with a couple of scarecrows under his heavily bandaged arms. "Poor Jammy… how many does he have now?"

"Injuries?" Ben asked grinning, loading up his gun as Jammy wandered into the open barracks, just in case some Hollow Men sprang up on him. "Close on a million I think…"

"Jams!" she shouted out, catching the blokes' attention. "How many injuries do you have?" He paused for a second, thinking.

"Just over seven hundred," he called back, his voice nasally because of his freshly broken nose.

"Impressive!" Ben called, over the laughs of the men who were listening. The laughter rang about until there was a shout of alarm from the other side of the fort.

"Halt! Be you men or be you Hollow men?" one of the boys shouted, standing atop one of the walls and pointing his gun over the other side. A gruff voice called something back they couldn't hear, but the both knew who it was instantly.

"Walter…" Danny breathed as Ben grinned and jogged down to the hub of the lower fort. Danny almost followed, but when the gates opened she saw someone strange with Walter, and something about them set her on edge. They looked terribly like King Logan.

They all greeted one another, laughing and chattering. The young man looked up around the walls and saw her. Their eyes connected and Danny felt a low growl rumble in her throat, almost warningly. She didn't like the look of him, and there was something about the way he stood and the way he was watching her that made her uneasy. To her disappointment, Ben started leading the man up the old stone steps to her at the mortar, and she looked around for some form of escape, but saw none… unless she was willing to leap from the walls.

It wouldn't be the longest drop she'd ever jumped. She'd leapt from one of the tallest trees in Silverpines with Drogo and Kali before, and she hadn't done any damage then since she knew exactly how to land. While contemplating all this though, she hadn't noticed Ben and the man approach her until Ben was giving her a nudge.

A small shriek escaped her lips and she almost tumbled over the edge of the wall to fall down head first into the fort, but the man was quick and caught her around her waist, pulling her close to his chest before stepping back.

"Jeez, careful Danny!" Ben cried; his face pale since he'd obviously thought she was going to plunge to her death.

"You probably shouldn't stand to close to the edge, there," the man noted, his voice smooth and deep. It sounded wrong to her, and she twisted out of his arms, a snarl ripping from her throat.

"Don't. Tell me. What to do," she hissed, scowling at him. He looked taken aback, and Ben was suddenly there in front of her, blocking her way from ripping his throat out.

"Oi, what's gotten into you?" he asked quietly, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her slightly. "He's here to help us!"

"He smells like Logan," she hissed back, and Bens' expression softened slightly.

"Don't worry about that, go down and help Swift out now though."

She mumbled her disagreement by growling at them both, startling the man and forcing Ben to roll his eyes at her.

She didn't go to help though, there wasn't much to do beside dig her own grave ready for tomorrow when she'd most likely be joining their own ranks of the dead. She grabbed a bowl of food and sat on the ground, tucking into the slop they were reduced to eating.

"Didn't take too kindly to Prince Damien, did you?"

She looked up to see Walter smiling down at her, and she glanced to where Ben and Jammy were now laughing with the man she presumed was Damien and shrugged.

"I don't like him," she said thickly, speaking with her mouth full.

Swift laughed and walked away chuckling about 'classy women', and Walter chuckled himself.

"He's better than his brother, you know. He's doing a lot to try and help Albion escape the rule of that tyrant."

Not knowing what a tyrant was, she shrugged and went back to eating, when there was a cry and Jammy shouted down that the Hollow Men had arrived. Everyone heaved into action and Danny jumped up, threw her bowl to the ground and grabbed a sword despite the fact that she barely knew how to use it. She'd learnt the basic blocks and how to swing it to inflict damage, though her usual tactic was to leap in and knock off heads. The undead needed to see where they were going to hurt them.

The mortar was blasting away, with Damien firing it and Jammy loading it up as fast as he could. Suddenly the fort gates started groaning under the pressure of Hollow Men, and Danny ran forward to position herself ready for the onslaught.

Time seemed to fly, and the only thing she was conscious off was Ben appearing at her side to shoot the oncoming skeletons until they crumbled to dust, and she slashed violently at any that got too close.

She was only vaguely aware that she heard Jammy scream in pain, or that she'd turned to see him fall to the floor. It all seemed a bit hazy when she launched herself at the offending Hollow Man and ripped him to pieces, or when she was crouched at Jammy's side, pressing her fingers against the gash in his chest to try and stem the blood flow.

He was trembling and moaning quietly in agony and she leaned in close to him to try and whisper something reassuring, but the only thing to come to her were tears that dripped from her eyes onto his cheeks.

He seemed to realise she was there and a small pained smile broke across his face. She could barely hear him above the shouts and cries and gunshots, but she distinctly heard him.

"Take care of Ben for us sweetheart," he gasped, his voice quaking when he started gurgling blood in the back of his throat "Avo knows he needs someone to…"

The gurgling sound got louder, and blood leaked from the corner of his mouth as he struggled for breath, his eyes widening slightly in panic before they rolled upwards, and Jammy was dead in her arms.

Her memories seemed to flash before her then and she was suddenly holding the body of Drogo in the glade, bloody and unmoving, before she saw the kind but still face of Jammy again. A rage that seemed to have been pent up inside her burst out, and she launched at the nearest of the Hollow legion with an angry shriek, ripping him apart bone by bone before repeating the action. A terrifying snarl ripped from her throat and she wasn't Danny – part of the Swift Brigade, she was Daenerys – part of a Balverine pack. A fierceness overwhelmed her and she launched into fights unarmed but more vicious than any skeleton could hope to be, or hope to fight against.

A wisp caught her eye, another soul flitting around to possess the dead, and she was ready to pounce at the bastard when the earth gave an almighty shudder, and Simmons was stood again, though rotting and undead. A shockwave burst from him, she flew back, hit the wall and sank to the floor… struggling with consciousness long enough to see Damien stand and take the old Lieutenant on his own while the other Hollow Men closed in on him. Long enough to see him with that determined look on his face that was so similar to hers when she flew into a fight… before consciousness slipped from her.


	23. Goodbye

I'm throwing these up now, I have 70+ chapters written for this story so I might as well get a jog on with it :D I'm in a really good mood thanks to CookieMeister and Death-Note-Fan-01!

Hope you enjoy~

* * *

Danny woke up on a soft mat, and squinted up to look into brown eyes hovering above her. They looked calm and friendly, and for a second she felt at ease. Then she remembered the Hollow Men, and Simmons, and Jammy dying in her arms and she sat bolt upright only to butt heads with the man over her.

She fell back down, clutching her forehead and moaning in pain while there was a ripple of laughter around her.

"Told you not to get too close Prince," Walter laughed, clapping him on the back. Looking through teary eyes, she saw Damien pinching his nose which was dripping blood now, but he still smiled at her sheepishly.

"Sorry," he started, accepting the rag Swift offered him to hold to his face and stem the blood "I was just making sure you were okay…"

"Oh… right," she muttered in return, sitting up again and looking around. The whole fort seemed tense and uneasy, and there were two men digging graves beside three bodies. Her heart dropped when she realised that Jammy was one of those bodies wrapped in a dirty white sheet, and before anyone could stop her she'd gotten shakily to her feet and strode over to the bodies. She looked at the faces of the first two men, biting her lip as she vaguely realised who they were. They were Jon and Gabriel Mores, brothers that joined the army together at eighteen and had been there for the past two years from what she could remember.

Then she looked over at Jammy. He looked peaceful, and had his daft smile etched on his face even in death. She'd never really looked past the scars before, since he hadn't really been that big a part in her life. But now she could see him, looking calm as if sleeping. Despite the scratches on his face, his crooked and oft broken nose and the buzz cut, he wasn't bad looking. Danny could only wonder why he'd spent so long in the army and hadn't settled down with a girl to start a family.

"I'll dig Jammy's grave," she said quietly, and the other two soldiers nodded slightly before passing her a shovel.

She stuck in, aware of all the eyes that watched her as she broke the ground and continued digging. Slowly the hole got longer, wider and deeper, and the sun got higher in the sky as she carried on, standing waist deep in the ground with sweat dripping down her nose and sticking her jacket to her back. She had to take it off after a few hours, leaving her in her pants, boots and vest. She refused to let anyone else dig the grave for Jammy, feeling that she should since he died in her arms. She refused food, and only took a sip of water from Swift's canteen.

When satisfied it was deep enough, she hoisted herself out and turned to the nearest person to ask them to help lower Jammy in. That person was Prince Damien, and when she asked him quietly he nodded, and they both used the sheet to lower him in, before Danny climbed down carefully to wrap him up again.

"I'm sorry Jammy," she whispered, pulling the sheet over his face slowly "_May our mother be kind to your soul,_" she finished in her natural tongue. It was something that was always said to their fallen, a well wish a they passed from this world to the next.

Damien took her arm when she reached up and heaved her out. She nodded in thanks, but then sent him away so she could cover the grave again.

By the time she was finished, then sun had started setting and she was exhausted. Everyone in the fort was tense while waiting for the Hollow Men.

They never came.

* * *

He'd spent the day watching her dig a grave for Jammy, and as much as he wanted to help he couldn't bring himself to bury his best friend. He'd spent his time up by the mortar, contemplating what had happened. He'd gone from laughing with his friends and beating off Avo damned skeletons to sitting alone atop a crumbling stone wall. The sun was setting, and he loaded up his gun to shoot the bastards in the head, but after a few hours of nightfall and no Hollow Men, he decided they weren't coming.

"Are you okay?"

"Been better," he replied sharply, not turning to look at Danny save she see the tears in his eyes. He felt like he'd lost one of his brothers again, except Jammy hadn't done anything to deserve an early grave. Jammy was a good bloke.

"Want to talk?" she asked, her voice quaking slightly.

"No."

"Can I… Can I stay up here with you?" she asked meekly, and he glanced to her to see her wringing her hands together, full of dirt, her hair plastered to her face and looking miserable.

"Sure."

She sat herself on the wall next to him, swinging her legs over the side so she was facing the barracks. They were quiet for a long while, listening to the sound of the trees rustling in the breeze and whatever animals were out there moving about. By the time the moon was highest in the sky, Danny was shivering slightly with cold, and without thinking Ben shrugged off his jacket and draped it over his shoulders. She whispered a small 'thank you' before turning away again, her face aglow in the moonlight and her emerald eyes shimmering. Ben coughed slightly, breaking the silence before he tried speaking.

"I-" he started, his voice breaking slightly, so he coughed and began again "I saw how you fought after Jammy…" he started, not wanting to say the word 'died' aloud.

"I was angry," she admitted, looking slightly ashamed. "I shouldn't have lost my temper so badly…"

"I'm glad you did," he said quickly, smiling bitterly. "Shows you care. Swifty said this morning how good it was to see someone rip them apart like that. Even the Prince was surprised how good a fighter you are."

"I'm not a good fighter," she whispered, remembering the pure base animal feelings that had overcome her, made her so angry. "I'm dangerous."

"You're not!" he laughed, patting her on the shoulder before standing upright and stretching out his limbs. She looked back at him for a second before turning back to the barracks, shaking her head. Not knowing what else to do, Ben pursed his lips then stepped forward and wrapped his arm around her shoulders a little awkwardly and taking care not to push her off the wall, then pulled her close to him in an awkward embrace.

"You're not dangerous."

Danny gave him a small smile, then swung around again and stood up on the platform, huddling up in his jacket to stay warm.

"You two! We're all getting ready to leave now" Swift called, before turning back around and shaking hands with the prince and Walter, then waving them off.

"Leaving this place?" Danny asked Ben, confused.

"Apparently."

* * *

Please leave a review, always appreciated x


	24. To The Sewers

Chapter 24, hope you all enjoy :)

* * *

Everything was packed up in haste and the remaining troops left Mourningwood for what they hoped would be the last time. They'd be damned if they'd ever return to that hell hole…

Danny had lingered behind for a little while, before slipping over to Jammy's grave and laying down the mans musket and a roll of bandages, in loving memory of him and his habit of getting injured.

She stepped back slightly and hit something solid behind her. Who or whatever it was grunted slightly, and she froze, her stomach clenching. If she'd been left here with a Hollow Man she was good as dead.

"That's a nice tribute," Ben said lowly, and sighing in slight relief she turned to him to catch the briefest flicker of sadness on his face. She moved to stand beside him, and tilted her head slightly to rest it against his arm, which he moved ever so slightly to wrap around her waist.

"Rest in peace then… you Jammy sod."

A moment of silence passed by them, and they turned away for the last time to leave Jammy in his resting place as they rushed to catch up with the troops.

"What was his real name?" Danny asked after a moment, a question that had never occurred to her before.

"It's a funny thing, that, because I honestly couldn't tell you. I don't even think the Major knows," he explained, nodding towards the lean man striding along ahead of all the troops, pipe clenched between his teeth as usual, and smoke billowing from overhead.

"That's a shame," she noted, stumbling slightly over a tree root before gaining her balance again and jogging to keep up with Bens' long strides.

"Nah, he'll always be Jammy to us," Ben chuckled, grabbing her arm as she tripped again and heaving her back up roughly to her feet before she caught a face full of mud.

"Yeah," she laughed, flushing slightly as he still held her arm, though much more relaxed; his grip less firm.

They passed the road they'd originally taken before, and she gave Ben a reproachful look, to which he shrugged in reply.

"Swift will know where we're going," he said, though sounding somewhat uncertain himself.

They passed through a small hamlet, smaller than Silverpines by far. All the houses were set up on wooden stilts that looked as though they were rotting, and the foulest stench filled her nostrils. She felt as if she were going to be sick.

"Right, lady and gents," Swift called, standing at the entrance to a large metal and stone archway with broken bars across it. "We're joining the rebels under Bowerstone Industrial. If any of you have a problem with that you can turn around now and go back to the Fort and we'll pray to Avo you're still there by the time the Prince's revolution has ended, and you're not dead."

He looked around almost accusingly, but no man stepped forward or protested. Each man there was loyal to Swift and the rest of the Swift Brigade… and it wasn't like any of them would quickly forget the fact that the Prince saved their arses back when Simmons rose from the dead.

"Good work troops, now… forward march!" he cried jovially, and the tone of his voice and the way he beamed at them made Danny want to run and leap and laugh. It felt like whatever it was that had been making them miserable had suddenly been lifted. A huge weight felt like it had gone from Danny's shoulders and though the stink of the pipe they travelled through clung to her nose and made her wretch, she still felt happy.

* * *

The way her eyes lit up suddenly, and the fresh bounce in her footstep made him smile and chuckle, along with the men who watched her bound along happily. She overtook Swift and skipped through the mud and filth and sewage, as if she hadn't a care in the world.

Eventually she slowed down, aware of the fact she had been leaving them in the dust and instead wandered to various branching off pipes, looking down them and having a good mooch about. Ben caught his way up to Swift, who was whistling jauntily to himself while he watched Danny go.

"You don't mind her wandering?" he asked, trying not to inhale too much of the foul air.

"Of course not Ben, she's a free spirit. I mean look at her! This must be the first time she's stretched her legs properly in months… you must remember how she grew up, and how she's had to adjust so much already."

"Suppose so," Ben admitted, realising that she had indeed gone from being free in the woods to sitting in a rotting ruin of a Fort all day everyday.

He was about to continue their chat when he saw Danny stop dead, and in a quick movement she'd dived behind one of the angled thick steel girders holding up the tunnel and climbed it, watching something intently. Swift raised his hand and the Brigade stopped, silently, each eye trained upon the girl who slipped expertly into the shadows near the roof of the tunnel and stayed still.

Two men rounded the corner at that point, both thick burly men carrying rifles. They looked dumb as shit, and Ben mused to himself that he was surprised they knew which way to hold the guns.

It took them a good few minutes, in which time they could have already been shot dead by the soldiers who'd taken the time to load up their guns and point them all at these two men.

"Hey! 'Oo do you 'fink you are!" the more stupid man shouted, pointing his gun at the soldiers. No one had time to shoot before Danny dropped from the roof unexpectedly and landed on his back, dragging him backwards and distracting them both. Ben stood stock still, watching as she clung on as he lurched about, screaming about bats, and the other tried batting her off. The grin on her face was comical, and she was clearly enjoying herself when she jumped off and leapt up, almost inhumanly back to the top of the girder.

"Where'd she go?!" the thick man cried, looking all around him but never once looking up. Again she dropped, but this time landing on the other man, flooring him before diving forward, hitting the other man square in the gut and flooring him too.

"She's amazing," one of the men beside Ben laughed. Another nodded, chuckling too;

"I think I'm in love."

Ben rolled his eyes in slight irritation. Then another commotion made him look up, and another ten men rounded the corner, a mixed race woman leading them all with guns out. The soldiers pointed their guns, knowing their aim was better and their weapons far superior. They'd kill more men than they'd lose. Danny was in the middle, and she jolted to her feet after scampering around the two men rolling around in the muck, before darting back up to the roof.

"Don't shoot!" Walter cried, pushing his way through. "Page! I told you allies were coming."

"And I told you I don't trust soldiers!" the cream skinned woman shouted back, but she lowered her weapon nonetheless. It was only when Danny jumped back down did she raise it again.

"Did they bring an Avo damned Balverine in here?!" she screamed, firing off a few rounds that Danny dodged, but then snarled at.

"Don't shoot you daft girl!" Walter shouted angrily, knocking the gun clean from Page's hands. "That's the girl I told you about!" His moustache had bristled, and his eyes were ablaze. This Page girl looked set in her ways, but even she wouldn't argue with the old soldier.

"The one who grew up with Balverines?" she asked, and then shot Danny a look of contempt. "I don't trust her… she belongs in a cage."

Ben saw Danny's jaw drop at this, and knew full well her temper would fail her and she'd go flying into a rage, so stepped forward quickly until he got to Danny, then continued and dragged her behind him until he was standing before Page and her men.

"Captain Ben Finn, sharpshooter, miscreant and handsome bugger to boot; pleasure to meet you," he grinned, extending his hand and offering a shake. But the girl scowled at him, and shot Walter a warning look.

"Put him in a cage too," she snapped, before walking away with her men in tow. Ben laughed slightly, calling back to her;

"If that's how you like it sweetheart!"

He found Walter clipping him sharply around the head.

"Shut up, Ben."


	25. Trusting Damien

Just a shortish chapter to keep y'all updated. I am actually in the process of writing the last chapters of this story, so I should be updating a lot more frequently. Reviews are always welcome, whether you're telling me what you life or what you think I could improve, it's all good :)

* * *

She hadn't been put in a cage, thank Avo, and neither had he.

Page was a real spitfire; dead set in her ways and toughened up through all her hard work not only in the rebellion, but also through her life. Damn, she had such a good story to tell! She'd been kidnapped from her parents and forced into labour as a child by Reaver. She'd put up with that for years, but managed to escape and find like minded people who joined her in the rebellion.

They wrecked factories, stole from the richer people and helped the poorer out, and they managed to get away with it all. His brothers' could have learned something from this lot; how to cause trouble and not be killed for it.

Danny hadn't taken too kindly to Page and her men. A lot of them could be quite cruel to her, and threw her scraps of meat or bones, or whistled and treated her like a dog. She mainly stayed deeper in the sewer pipes, hiding alone up on the girders. Swift and Walter had gone and managed to convince her to come back into the main hub, but the teasing and taunting started again and she'd slink back to her hiding place.

The one think he didn't like about Page was the fact that she didn't call her goons off. She didn't like soldiers, and wasn't about to do anything to make their lives any easier. But she especially didn't like Danny; Page hated her, and wanted her gone.

He'd been sent by Swift and Walter to find Danny, and the Prince had asked to tag along with him.

They were walking through the tunnels and trying to look and listen out for her when she dropped from the roof and landed nimbly on her feet, frowning at them. The Prince smiled at her, a gesture that was not returned. Ben held his arm out and beckoned her to come with them without actually saying anything.

"I'm not going back out there," she said, her voice cracking slightly as tears sprang to her eyes.

"Why not?" Ben asked, rubbing his left temple with his hand while reaching forward with the other to catch her arm and tug her forward gently.

"They hate me," she complained, pulling her arm away from him and scowling. "I was happy with my pack, and they were happy with me. I don't fit in with _people_…" she stressed, turning away and looking up for a place to grab hold of.

"You do you know," Damien suddenly chipped in, placing a hand gently on her shoulder.

"No. I don't," she hissed, shrugging him off and jumping up. Damien gave Ben an exasperated look and stepped back, gesturing to her.

"She'll listen to you," he said quietly, and there was a small scoff from above.

"Not today she won't," Ben shrugged stepping back and trying to ignore the reproachful look the Prince was giving him. Ben raised his hands and shook his head. "She really won't listen to me, she's annoyed."

"Well I'm staying until she comes down," Damien said quietly, leaning against a wall and glancing up to Danny who was huddling up in the shadows.

"Have fun with that," Ben muttered, turning on his heel and marching away, grumbling to himself.

He knew Danny better than anyone, if he said she wouldn't listen, then she probably wasn't going to listen, and the best option would be to drop it and leave her to cool off and try again later. Prince Damien would be waiting a while, and wasting a lot of his time.

That he was sure of.

He'd been there watching her for a long time, she didn't know how long, but his legs must have been aching. She would have felt sorry for him if it weren't for the fact that she still had her misgivings about him. He was different to the King, she knew that much, and it wasn't just the obvious physical difference, it was their personalities.

Damien was taller than his brother, and more muscular. His face was kinder; he didn't frown much, and always had a twinkle in his dark brown eyes. Instead of slicked back hair, his fell loosely into his eyes and didn't look like it had been combed for days. Then there was the fact that he was always calm and relaxed, and even in battle he kept a cool head. He would smile at everyone he passed, helped people who needed it and she'd seen him on occasion slip money or food to people he passed on the streets who were begging.

He was a kind man… but the way his brother had had five men try to kill her was still in her mind, and she couldn't trust Damien completely… they were the same blood.

"I've been here for hours, will you come down?" he asked, stepping forward slightly and looking up at her.

"No."

"Fine then, I'll keep waiting," he laughed, and leaned back against the wall.

She opened her mouth to ask why, and moved slightly out of the shadow to look at him properly in the dim light. He was smiling up at her almost lazily.

"You should go," she said instead, biting her tongue at how mean it sounded.

"No… I shouldn't," he smirked.

"Please?" she asked quietly, almost inaudibly. He looked up suddenly, his mouth falling into a small 'o' shape.

"You really don't want to come back?"

"I was more accepted with Balverines…" she mumbled, dropping down from the girder but standing away from him. "My own species hates me."

"I don't hate you," he pointed out, stepping forward slightly. "I fact, I quite like you."

Danny looked at him for a moment, and sighed.

"If I come back will you leave me alone?"

"You don't like me do you?" he asked, avoiding the question.

"I don't trust you," she corrected, smiling slightly.

"I know," he chuckled, and together they walked back down the stinking sewer line to get to the rest of the rebellion gang.


	26. Fighting Page, Fighting Ben

Another Chapter. I'm literally about to maybe write the last chapter. If I can face it. I've loved writing this, and I know we're not that far in, per say, but there's like... 85/86 chapters? If you're willing to stick with me, I'd actually love it :)

* * *

"Hey, come here girl," one guy shouted, waving a bone at her before launching it at her head. It hit her sharply and her eye twitched in annoyance. All the men laughed as she passed, not making eye contact. Damien looked at her carefully, not coming closer but preparing himself for the absolute worst… her killing someone.

She kept her composure though, until another guy swung his gun at the back of her knees. She crumpled onto the floor, landing on all fours with a gasp. Damien turned and pinned the guy against the nearest solid object, scowling at him.

The man didn't seem to care as he was in a drunken stupor.

"Look! Bitches are meant to be on all fours!" he laughed, before Damien punched him in the face. Suddenly every man was on his feet, shouting and launching themselves at the Prince. Danny did the first thing that came to mind and snarled at them, her eyes narrowing to dangerous slits and her nostrils flaring as she bared her teeth, crouching so low and flat to the ground on her hands and toes like a wound spring. It slowed a lot of them men, who reeled back in shock and horror at the sight of a girl appearing so much like an… animal. Something snapped within Danny then, and she felt it. Any common sense left her then, and she only saw red.

A few of the idiots lurched at her, and as she jumped up one of them punched her in the stomach, winding her and grabbing her arm, yanking her back and off balance. Quickly though she was twisting up and kicked against his chest as she clawed his face with her nails. He fell back and clutched his nose where she'd actually torn the flesh.

One man pulled out his gun and aimed for her, but she jumped up higher than the rifle barrel, shoving the gun down to the floor and butting him in the face, before leaping over him and sending a man behind him flying too.

There were shouts of anger and panic and gunshots, then someone grabbed her by the hair and she was pinned against a wall, a gun at her throat.

"I knew you'd act up sooner or later!" Page screamed, spit hitting Danny in the face as she snarled back. "You deserve nothing less than this," she continued, her face contorted with rage as she pulled the hammer back on her pistol.

In a second Danny had moved, the bullet missing her by centimetres. Page was lying flat on the ground, looking up into the wild green eyes of the angry girl she'd been about to shoot. The gun was knocked clean from her hands and out of her reach, and she gasped as strong thin fingers wrapped around her throat, though not tightly.

Danny leaned down and pressed her cheek against Page's, her hair a tangled mess falling about them both, hiding her wolfish smirk and Page's terrified expression.

"Watch yourself," she whispered before Damien grabbed her around the waist and pulled her off Page, dragging her backwards and away.

"I want her out of here," Page gasped, sitting up and looking at Danny with an almost horrified expression on her face. "If I see her again… I'll kill her."

"If you're fast enough," Danny laughed, the right corner of her lip twisting up cruelly, as she'd truly had enough of this shitty human world. Ben grabbed her arm and he and Damien dragged her from the sewer, both looked as aghast and shaken as the other.

"The fuck was that?!" Ben hissed, seething as he threw Danny out in front of him.

"What she deserved," Danny chuckled, smoothing her hair back over her shoulder.

"What she-?! You nearly killed her!" Ben yelled, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her. "You attacked her men and then _nearly killed her_!"

"I wasn't going to kill her" Danny laughed again not caring about how angry it made Ben. She wanted him to be angry. She wanted him to hate her. "She was going to kill me."

"And she had good reason to!" Ben spat out , hitting his forehead with a balled up fist, turning away from her then just as quickly turning back and pointing a finger at her accusingly. He was trembling with rage, and Danny felt slightly scared that he would hurt her…

"I wish… I wish I'd shot you the first time I saw you running through those trees in Silverpines," he seethed, his knuckles white with the way his fist was curled in so tight. "I wish I'd never had the misfortune to meet you… you've been more trouble than you're worth."

"Ben…" Damien started, sounding appalled. But the blond ignored him. He was looking right into those green eyes that had softened considerably. Tears welled up, though she stood stiff and remained composed.

"Really? You wish you'd killed me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, and amazingly she didn't voice the hurt she was obviously feeling.

"Avo, no," he groaned, sounding frustrated. "Just never met you… never had to deal with you sodding everything up…"

"You started it," she hissed "you killed my pack-"

"You're still hung on that?!" Ben cried, an exasperated laugh escaping his lips. "Really? They were just a load of flea bitten cursed mutants! They were good for nothing..."

"You killed my family! I- I wish I'd killed you Ben… I wish I'd strangled you at home when I had the chance, I hope you die."

"Oh just fuck off will you?"

"Drop dead."

"Dogs first," he hissed, narrowing his eyes at her.

She pursed her lips, tears now freely flowing down her face as she turned and bolted down the banks of the filthy canal. He didn't bother to watch her go, pushing past the Prince who was shouting for her to come back. He didn't turn to see her shrinking figure turn around a bend, disappearing.

He pushed the door open, ignoring the sharp angry faces of Walter and Swift who had obviously heard the fight, and walking right past to see if Page was okay.


	27. Never Show Weakness

This is only a few hundred words, literally, so I'm going to post this as a mini filler kind of thing aaand then I'm going to post another one just as soon as I have time to edit it :) should be within the next few minutes :D

* * *

She'd run as far as she could, and ended up in another part of town gasping for breath, clutching the pain in her side. Her heart was pounding in her chest, almost angry at her. It felt like it was about to leap out any second, and she pressed her back against a wall, sobs shaking her as she slid down into a ball, head against her knees as she cried.

She didn't want him dead… she cares about him too much… but the way he'd gotten so close to her, in such an aggressive and intimidating way. She'd been terrified facing him, and if she hadn't left when she did she'd have ended up like this in front of him.

'_Never show weakness… they'll know where to hurt you next'_ Drogo had once told her, and she'd remembered those exact words. He'd been explaining about fighting, but it could be applied to emotional things too.

'_You're more trouble than you're worth'_ … '_I wish I'd shot you'_ … '_Dogs first'_ …

She pushed herself back into the hole in the wall she was leaning against, large enough for a person to crawl into… probably a homeless persons' shelter.

They could go without for one night.

She cried herself to sleep, images of the hate on Bens' face burned into her memory.


	28. Swift Dies

And this one is near a few thousand words, so this is a lot better. As always, I would greatly appreciate it if you could review :)

* * *

Danny had been wandering through Old Quarter and the market place of Bowerstone for a few days, staving off hunger by using the gold she had to buy small amounts of food and drink, and when that ran out she'd started stealing it.

To her slight surprise nobody really paid her any attention, which was strange because she tended to sleep in the strangest places, though they tended to be the warmest, most sheltered, and quite good to hide in. She never stayed in one place more than one night though, because if people saw her climbing up into a hole in the town walls, or up into the inner workings of the clock tower, it would raise suspicion.

She was stood under the clock tower on one bright afternoon, and having not been able to sleep because of stupid old men shouting until the early hours of the morning, grabbing young women who tried to get past and making a scene with the guards, so she felt exhausted. She'd spent half her waking hours this morning listening to an old man play some strange music when she noticed a familiar golden haired person sitting outside the tavern, head in hands.

"Ben," she whispered to herself, walking forward quickly to stand in front of him, her figure casting a shadow over him. He looked up, his eyes bloodshot and his mouth curved downwards. He smiled slightly when he recognised her, though it seemed almost bitter.

"S'you come to make fun 'o' me?" he slurred, trying to heave himself to his feet but slouching sideways anyway with a snort and a low chuckle.

"No- what? Ben what's… why are you like this?" she asked, grabbing his arm and pulling him back up into a sitting position as he scowled at her.

"I don' want your sump- syma- to feel sorry far me," he grumbled, stumbling over words.

"Ben…"

"He's legless drunk sweetheart," a woman said to her, looked sympathetic. "A man was executed this morning and he was very close to him."

It felt like someone hit her in the stomach and Danny felt her face drop. A small terror gripped at her chest and she looked from Ben who was biting his lip and fighting away tears to the woman who was wringing her hands.

"Who?" she ended up asking, thought she felt as if she already knew the answer.

"Swifty," Ben choked, grabbing Danny and burying his face in her shoulder. She pushed him away in shock to see stray tears rolling down his face and she bit her lip and wiped them away. Swift had been killed?

It didn't settle right with her, and she felt a lump rising in her throat as she coughed and cleared her throat, trying to stay strong.

"I'm sorry, Ben," Danny whispered, pulling him closer again and resting her cheek on his head as he lay his head on her shoulder again.

"Shoulda been me," he muttered thickly, "Was a good man was Swifty… ain't right…"

"Ben, no," she whispered, blinking furiously to keep away the tears as she hugged Ben closer, trying to comfort him the way he would always comfort her. "No one should die…"

"S'too late" Ben cried, pulling away and hitting his head on the brick wall behind him, though he didn't seem to notice. "Firs' Jammy, now Swifty… s'me next."

"No it's not, now come on," Danny muttered, huffing as she heaved Ben up and took all of his weight on her, almost buckling beneath him. She gasped for breath for a moment, before she urged him to take a step forward. He seemed to only be able to lurch vaguely in the direction she was leading him, and the concentration on his face made it obvious he was trying. It was almost like his brain was disconnected from his legs.

"Oh, shit, wait," Ben muttered, turning and shoving his head into a bucket full of water, staying there for a moment until all the bubbles stopped and signified he wasn't breathing anymore, and he wrenched himself up. His eyes looked slightly clearer, and he seemed to have gained some sobriety, but he didn't ease up on how much weight he rested on Danny, and she struggled to get him back through town to Industrial.

Ben kept wiping at his eyes furiously, looking increasingly pissed off with himself until he exclaimed;

"M' crying like an Avo damned woman!"

"There's nothing wrong with crying," Danny soothed him, but he was having none of it, he tried pulling away from her but lost his footing and went tumbling into an old man. It looked like a fight was going to break out but Ben shrugged it off, Danny hurried to apologise and the man ignored the both of them, walking away swearing.

"We Finn's don't cry," he stated loudly, pushing his chest out like he was reciting something he'd once been told. Then his face dropped again and he mumbled something inaudible and he remained silent from there on in.

The walk after that was quiet, besides Danny huffing as she dragged Ben along, trying to remember where his home was. Then she wondered if he'd be able to climb the ladder to get in. She was thinking about tying a rope to him and attempting to heave him up, but if she couldn't walk properly with his weight on her, she'd have no chance pulling him up the side of a building. Trying to ignore the not so furtive glancing he kept shooting her, and the daft smile that slowly spread across his face, she kept her eyes forward and tried to formulate a plan.

When they did get there, he took a breath and grabbed hold of the bars and heaved himself up. He did pretty well, only slipping once, and he got to the platform to push open the hatch and pull himself inside.

Danny followed quickly, and jumped in after Ben to see him sprawled on the floor, routing under the table for a bottle filled with amber liquid, which he then tried to open. Danny snatched it from his hands and put it on the table, much to Bens' disappointment.

"I wan'ed that," he grumbled, tugging on her trouser leg. But he started grinning and sat bolt upright much quicker than Danny realised he could, and she was suddenly tumbling down into his lap as he pulled her close.

"You're not still angry with me?" he asked slowly, forming each word correctly though his voice sounded huskier and deeper because of the amount of alcohol he'd consumed.

"No, I can't be," she said quietly, trying to prise his arms away from her, but she froze when she felt his lips on her neck.

"I didn' mean what I said," he mumbled, tilting his head upwards to press his lips against her cheek. She felt herself flush red, her face burning as she tried to ignore how good it felt and instead moved her head slightly away, avoiding him.

"I know, Ben," she said quietly, pushing at his arms a bit more forcefully to escape. Instead he took advantage of the little distance and pressed his lips against her collar bone, nibbling and sucking until she gasped and a moan escaped her mouth before she could think. Gaining control of herself again, she elbowed him in the chest and shouted at him.

"Stop it Ben! What are you doing?"

She pushed herself to her feet, backing away until her back hit the wall and she looked to see how she could dodge around Ben in this state to get to the door.

"It's called a kiss, sweetheart," he laughed, grinning playfully at her and pulling himself up slowly, standing a little shakily on his feet while he tried to stop himself swaying slightly.

"You don't know what you're doing Ben," she said her eyes flickering from him to the door quickly, judging how fast he might react. He wasn't as stable as he usually was, so that was an advantage. On the other hand, he seemed almost possessed, and she didn't know how people acted when they were drunk.

"How do you know?" he asked, a cocky grin spreading across his lips as he crossed the distance of the room to her in two large strides before she could do so much as tense up, taking hold of both her arms with his strong hands, and pressing his chest to hers to trap her.

She felt scared, but also strangely pleased at the proximity. She looked up into his eyes to see something burning in them, an emotion she wasn't familiar with.

"You're beautiful, Danny," he said huskily, pressing his lips to her jaw just under hear ear, every time he exhaled it seemed to burn her skin. "I'm not the only man who can see that…"

This time he kissed further down her jaw, and she could smell the alcohol on his breath, and feel the heat from his body, and she didn't mind one bit. She felt as if she was floating on some cloud, high above Albion and all its troubles.

"Danny?" he whispered, pressing his forehead against hers, their noses bumped together as he looked deep into her eyes. His breath seemed almost ragged, and there was a desperation about him that when she noticed it she didn't understand.

"Yes?" she breathed back, tilting her head up to look at him better, her eyes flicking back and forth across his face to pick out each tiny scar that he'd gotten from the Gods know where… memorising each whisker that made up the stubble on his face. His shaggy hair was displaced almost comically, and was brushing against her cheek as he leant down a little further to her. He let go of her arms and instead wrapped one around her waist, the other moved up to caress her cheek, the roughness of his thumb that glided across her face made her shiver.

"You don't know how long I've not had the balls to do this…"

He finally pressed his lips to hers, and she almost felt as if she were melting in pure bliss, the way their lips moulded around one another's seemed right and she found herself sliding her arms upwards around his neck, pulling him closer. It felt good and right to have Ben kissing her; she could feel him smile against her lips and give a satisfied hum deep in his throat before all her senses crashed back down on her and she wrenched her lips away, gasping for air.

"Stop, Ben stop," she said meekly, trying to pull away but he began kissing her neck again, chuckling.

"You don't mean that, love."

"Ben, get off me!" she said, trying to shove him away but she was too strong and stayed in place, though he did stop his assault on her neck.

"Get off?" he asked, pressing his head against her shoulder.

"Yes… please," she pleaded, and instantly he dropped his arms without a complaint and took a few steps back to tumble down and sit in his chair.

"I need to go," Danny said. She didn't understand this new feeling burning in the pit of her stomach as her heart clenched and she yeared for more. But she wanted to stop and her voice was quaking as she spoke before she made for the door, not looking back at Ben.


	29. Kissing Ben

Chapter 29 of Balverine Child. Finished writing my last chapter now and it's a pretty long story considering. Though I know some chapters are fillers to basically add a bit more info and things like that, so yeah. Hope you enjoy :)

* * *

She'd stayed at the bottom of the ladders all night, curling up with her knees pressed against her chest. She'd fallen asleep at one point, and it one only when she heard the faint clunking of someone stepping on metal did she wake up, and it was the crunch of someone stepping on the gravel next to her that made her open her eyes a look up.

Ben looked tired and slightly irritated, but he also had the decency to look slightly ashamed of himself.

"I'm sorry about… ya know," he started, but she smiled slightly and waved it off, almost surprised he could remember. He hadn't been himself last night.

"Don't be…" she said quietly, but each of them stood a little awkwardly, and Danny took to rocking back and forth on her heels.

"I didn't mean any of what I said the other day," he said suddenly, and quickly. "I mean, we were both being stupid and arrogant and... you were damn dangerous… but it was uncalled for."

"It's okay," Danny smiled slightly, feeling just as awkward as Ben did. The apologies weren't necessary, they were just formality. "I'm sorry too."

A brief smile played along his lips, and though he hesitated at first he pulled her into a hug.

She felt tense at first, not sure if he was going to act the same way as last night when he had been drunk, but instead he let go of her, and then nodded his way to the main street.

"We should get going and sort something out… I haven't been back since last night and they're obviously going to be worried about me," he said, winking at her as he joked about, but Danny felt her stomach sink and she hung back.

"I can't go back, Page said she'd kill me."

"Oh, she didn't mean it!"

"She did… I'll wait here, just come and tell me what's happening so I can help."

Ben paused, looking reluctant to leave her on her own, but shrugged and nodded up to his loft.

"Stay up there then, out of sight."

Danny nodded and waiting until Ben was gone to climb up.

* * *

"Come on!" Ben roared, shooting an oncoming so called 'elite guard' between the eyes before leaping over his body and into the mess of guards in purple uniforms that were intent on killing him.

These men were easy to bat off, and the only thing that made them special compared to the other people in the downtrodden society was the fact that they were thugs that barely had two brain cells between the lot of them to rub together; yet they still somehow knew which way to point a gun.

He watched in slight awe as Damien charged up a ball of lightening in his hands and shot it at an oncoming guard, knocking him clear off his feet and sending him reeling into the lapping waters of the nearby docks.

"Nice one!" Ben laughed, then cried out in pain as a bullet wedged itself in his shoulder, and another one narrowly missed his head. Rule one of fighting: never get distracted.

He turned to the attacker, shooting him in the chest so he was dead before he could hit the ground. He could feel the dull throb in his arm, and tried to ignore it as he plunged onwards into another hoard of guards with only Damien by his side. Walter and Page had gone ahead to secure a ship while they cause a distraction, and they'd be damned by Skorm if they didn't have one after all of this.

All for the sake of going to bloody Aurora, wherever it was.

He pulled out his cutlass and slashed at two men, cutting one across the chest in the downwards stroke, then when he flicked it back he slit the others throat and jumped away to avoid the gushing blood. Seven men surrounded him, and though outnumbered he stood firm, judging which would be easiest to pop off real quick then look about escaping.

A gun was pointed at his temple before he could formulate the plan fully, and the owner of the gun smirked cruelly.

"Say your prayers, scum," he sneered.

He didn't have to, because in that instant Danny appeared and barrelled into him, sending them both flying before wrenching the gun from his hands and shooting the man at point blank in the knee, leaving him screaming on the ground. She turned and went to shoot another, but to their horror her gun locked. She panicked for a second, then did the next best thing she could and threw the gun at the man instead, breaking his nose with a satisfying crunch as it hit him dead on in the face.

Ben shot two attackers near her, while Damien sliced through another.

Danny had the honour of finishing up the last guard, diving through his legs so she was behind him, twisting and jumping up so she had her legs wrapped around his neck – almost as if she were doing a handstand against him, and she pulled backwards with all her might to break his neck, but instead dislocated his head from his neck and tearing the arteries inside his neck, leaving him gurgling in his own blood before he died.

"Thank you, Danny!" Damien laughed, pulling her into a brisk hug before letting her go again, smiling broadly at her. Ben could have swore, though, that his eyes flickered to look at him for a second, as if measuring his reaction, and he felt his expression sour slightly and jealousy burned in the pit of his stomach. She turned to Ben, her mouth in a small pout and she huffed at him;

"You didn't come back for me."

He looked at her in disbelief, but burst out laughing before he composed himself enough to say, "I didn't really have time did I?"

They all rounded the corned and Walter and Page were on the docks, waiting. Page saw Danny and she scowled, her hand resting on the hilt of her own blade, as if in warning. Danny didn't so much as look at her, but turned to Ben.

"Let me come too," she asked, her voice quiet. "Don't leave me here alone."

He took her in his arms, pulling her flush against his body in a tight embrace, remembering the foggy memories of the night before when he'd been kissing her, the way she tasted was simply intoxicating.

"You can't come," he said quietly in her ear. "I need you to stay here and take care of yourself. Promise me?"

"I promise," she muttered miserably.

"Good," he smiled, pulling away slightly so he was barely an inch from her face. "Can I have one for the road?"

She looked confused, and he chuckled as he remembered she would have never heard the term before. He smiled as he edged closer, and she seemed to get the idea, but he felt the need to word it for her.

"It's when I'm-" he started, but she rolled her eyes and smirked.

"Shut up, Ben," she started, but grabbed his collar.

They crushed their lips together almost fiercely, and it was like they were the only two people in the whole of Albion. If he could have pulled her closer, he would have, but they were flush against one another like they had been the night prior, and he had his hand pressed into her lower back, the other tangled in her messy hair, while both of her hands were crushed between them, clinging to his shirt.

He pulled away slightly, leaving them to gulp down air as he trailed kisses down her jaw line, giving her one last fleeting kiss on the lips as Walter coughed in annoyance.

"Sorry Walter! Don't know when I'll get to do that again, though," he laughed, though his heart was hammering some strange rhythm. Quickly he turned back to Danny, giving her a sweeping look to try and remember those vivid eyes, the small smile tugging at her lips and the way she looked so invitingly scruffy.

"Take care."

"You too."


	30. Shipwrecked

A short chapter here :) Sorry it's a filler and terribly short, I just needed somethign to add some more of the 'kind of' original plot before I showed you the next chapter which I am sure is longer. I wrote it a while ago, so I can't be sure. Anyways, hope you enjoy, and please take a moment to review cos it leaves some feedback and I know what I'm doing right or wrong to sort it all out as I go!

Tatty bye~

* * *

She'd watched Ben climb onto the boat, and head up to the mast quickly to untie the sails. He refused to look back at her as Walter and Damien followed, sorting the ship out quickly so they could set sail as quickly as possible.

A glance at Page told Danny that she wouldn't be welcome to stay at the rebel headquarters, but she didn't fancy spending weeks alone in Ben's home. Thinking on the spot, she ran and launched herself onto the boat, skirting around where Ben was pulling up the anchor with Walter's help, and rushing below deck to hide behind a cannon. It was dark, dank, and smelled like rotting wood, and the constant motion of the boat unsettled her. She pushed back against the wall of the ship, trying to settle her nerves. She hated this thing already and a part of her longed to go back on land and hide out around Bowerstone, maybe find a way to sneak into the castle and kill Logan in his sleep or something, but an almight lurch told her the boat was moving more than just side to side and she took small rapid breaths as she realised this was it.

Danny sat up a little and looked up to the staircase she'd just come down, satisfied she hadn't been spotted, so she closed her eyes and ignored the sickly feeling building up in her stomach as a result of the ship rocking.

* * *

An almighty crash woke her up after she dozed off to escape the feeling of wanting to be sick. In seconds water was rising around her ankles, and she barely managed to lurch up to the steps to the deck when the ship groaned and the wood started splintering.

"We're under fire!" Walter cried, and she staggered past to where Ben was clinging to what was left of the mast as the other ship fired on them again.

"Danny, what're you doing here?" Ben yelled, his face contorting in anger and fright "You're going to get killed!"

"Same as you then," she replied, feeling strangely calm given the situation.

There was a resounding crack, a heart wrenching groan and the whole ship tilted on it's side and the four of them fell into the sea, forced under the surface of the water. The oxygen in her lungs was quickly replaced by liquid, and her whole chest seemed to press into itself before her eyes fluttered closed and left her to nothing but darkness.


	31. The Sands

Told you this one was longer :) before editing the word count was 1993 which was my year of birth, so I was mildly amused for a short time. Anyways, reviews would be welcome, and I'd love the feedback, so please review :) Thanks, now tatty bye~

* * *

'_Take care of yourself'_

'_You too'_

He hadn't really done that, and was currently stumbling through an endless sea of sand while looking for Danny, Walter and Damien. Danny shouldn't have even been there, but she's snuck onto the ship and stowed away. Then they'd been shipwrecked and separated, and he'd tried swimming for her but they were all swept away, and there was the creeping feeling that he wasn't alone.

"_She hates you for killing him!_"

Ben covered his ears and started to run through the desert, trying to escape from the voice. It was like Skorm was whispering inside his head, except it was getting louder the deeper into the desert he ventured. It was unnatural, and filled the blond with a kind of dread he'd never experienced before.

"_Her mate!_" it cried, making him pull his face… the idea of Danny with a Balverine was… "_She loved an animal! She will never love you like she loved that __**monster.**_"

Blundering on, he tripped over his own feet and got a face full of sand. He barely managed to raise his head to squint out over the heat haze, and saw three shadowy figures getting closer at rapid speed. He scrambled to his feet, squinting harder against the sun, trying to ignore the throb in his head from where the voice was still whispering… like a distant memory… and the feeling of his clothing sticking to him as he sweat profusely under the high sun.

"Walter!?" he cried, reaching out slightly, "Damien?"

He stumbled forward, but something hit him in the stomach and he doubled over, landing on his knees and clutching his side in pain. The voice hissed at him again, this time outside his head, slithering around him.

"_Dead… Dead like your brothers… you left them Benji!_"

The voice reached an unbearable pitch, and he clamped his hands over his ears pitifully to try and block it out, but it was in his head too. Then the voice altered, becoming something terrifyingly familiar, and he looked up again in fright to see the shadows morphing in front of him, becoming the tall, lanky figures of his brothers. Flesh was missing, they were some terrible mix of human and Hollow Men, their faces flushed, but their eyes hollow sockets with blue lights peering out in place of the hereditary blue eyes.

William shook his head in disappointment.

"You left us for dead Benji," he called, using the old embarrassing nickname they'd come up for him as a child, but his voice an octave higher than usual and it pierced Bens' eardrums. Jason and Quentin flanked him, looking intimidating, but just as saddened as their eldest brother.

"No… no, Ja-Jason," Ben muttered, reaching up to try and catch hold of his dead brothers' hand, but a soft breeze blew past and they crumbled before him, falling to dust and mixing in with the sand. It all blew up into his face, leaving him coughing and grinding his balled up fists against his eyes to rub the sand out, and rub the angry tears away. Something was playing with him, and it was whispering things into his ears again. Things he couldn't understand, but made him tremble nonetheless.

Something moved in front of him, and he looked up quickly to see Danny, and in an instant he was on his feet in shock, grabbing hold of her arm so he knew she was real and not just another illusion. His fingers wrapped around her solid figure and he breathed a small sigh of relief before she scowled at him, contempt written plainly across her features, contorting them cruelly so he almost didn't recognise her. Her usual bright green eyes were ringed with black, and she didn't say a word to him for a good few minutes. The look on her face was enough to make it feel like another crushing blow had been knocked into his chest, and he struggled to catch his breath as she opened her mouth.

Her lips didn't move though, and the words that poured from her mouth were not hers, though they sounded somewhat like she was shouting them, though her voice twisted into a screeching echo.

"_She hates you!_" it screamed, and Ben found himself watching in horror as Danny's face twisted, her figure hunched over before melting away leaving a towering… something… in her place.

A thousand hateful words ripped through his mind, reminding him of the days when he partook in less than honourable activities. Tearing up old thoughts about how many women he'd left heartbroken, how many potential children he could have left fatherless, how many lives he'd ruined with theft and piracy and adultery. A barrage of hate flooded through him, but it was for himself… he was a bastard, and deserved nothing, and the beast nodded in front of him, as if happy he was agreeing. It was then he looked up to take in its appearance, and he didn't bother to turn and flee, he just knelt there, feeling something akin to acceptance.

It had thin, pale papery skin that hung loosely from its long, twisted disfigured limbs. It seemed to have a hundred tiny black eyes that burned into his own terrified blue ones, and large curling fangs that grew from where its upper lip would be had it had one, and they overlapped its chin.

"_Surrender yourself… surrender to darkness…_"

There were screams, and unsure of whether they were in his head or not Ben closed his eyes and tried to block it out, rolling over sideways into unconsciousness.

* * *

"He will be fine,"

Ben could vaguely hear a soft lilting voice echoing. It wasn't one he was familiar with, but it was far more welcome than the screams and torments of that thing in the desert. He mustered up what little strength he had to open his eyes, and found himself looking up into a pair of dark brown ones. Soft and gentle… almost like a cow's eyes. They made him feel sleepy.

He turned away, looking around the dim chamber he was in to see if Damien and Walter where there, but they weren't and his stomach filled with dread.

"My friends…" he croaked, astonished at how dry his throat was. He coughed slightly, and the person over him turned and took hold of a pot. It contained water, and she spooned it into his mouth carefully, and he gulped at it, feeling greedy. It was the best tasting water he'd ever had.

"There are others?" she asked, and he nodded weakly, before quietly telling her the tale of how they'd set course for Aurora, but had their ship blasted apart by the Kings' own fleet. How he'd washed up on shore away from his friends and had gone out to search for them, but wandered into the desert… finding himself bombarded with a hateful voice screaming abuse at him.

He described the monster to her too, and she nodded sympathetically before giving him a soft smile.

"You are a lucky man to have escaped from the Crawler unharmed," she commented, before turning to her men and giving them orders in a strange language. She sounded harsh and sharp, but gentle at the same time. When she turned back to the tired blond before her, she bit her lip.

"My people have their methods, and they will find your friends…"

"It's whether they find them in time," Ben finished with a small sigh, dropping his head back on to the soft pillow.

"I am afraid so."

"Thank you anyway…" he looked up and she smiled at him.

"I am Kalin."

"Ben Finn," he yawned, and closed his eyes to fall into a fitful sleep.

_He was back in his home where he was holding Danny, her green eyes flashing as she smiled up at him. He pulled her into a kiss, pulling her closer to him as he wrapped his arms around her. When he pulled away however, he was looking into the many black eyes of the Crawler, sand poured through the cracks in the roof until it collapsed, raining down on him as he tried to escape the clutches of the monster, fighting against it as it wrapped its long claws around his arms, lifting him up until they were both at eyes level. It sucked in its breath, and Ben felt all the hope and warmth and colour leave his body as it screamed;_

_"**DIE**!"_

Jerking awake and drenched in a cold sweat he looked around wildly to see Damien and Walter laid down on similar stone slabs to the one he was on, the same padded blankets keeping them comfortable. Danny wasn't there, and his stomach clenched tightly. A woman hushed him, looking sympathetic as she laid a hand on his chest, easing him back down.

He refused to go to sleep after that, and got to his feet shakily, accepting some more water before he pulled off his jacket and shirt – much too warm to be wearing them, despite the fact they were drenched in sweat anyway – and he wandered outside for his heart to break in a way he didn't think possible.

The city of Aurora was a broken mess… houses collapsed in on themselves, and people were running for the safety of their homes as the last glimmers of light left over the horizon. Kalin was stood on a stone platform looking over the city as people ran for the safety of their homes. Sadness like he never knew lined her face, and she looked much too young for all of this tragedy.

"This is what the Crawler has done…" she said, her voice thick with emotion. "It had destroyed my people…"

"I'm… I'm sorry," Ben muttered, not sure how to react, laying a hand on her shoulder. She turned and her eyes flitted over his bare chest and up to his face.

"Your friend is the prince? I know his face. His brother promised us help years ago, but abandoned us in our time of need."

"Ah, see Damien's not like that," Ben started, feeling the need to defend his friend. "Basically, he's come to ask you for help in de-throning Logan, and when he's king… well I suppose he'll try and help you clean up this mess."

Kalin nodded quietly and sighed.

"My people need help… but I am not prepared to have another promise broken. I need to hear him promise me himself."

"Yeah, of course," Ben nodded, turned back to look out to the miserable city. Something in the back of his mind was nagging him, and he turned to Kalin again, feeling his heart thud quickly as he took a shaky breath.

"Did you find a girl in the desert?" he asked quietly, and the stricken look on Kalin's face gave him his answer.

"There was a girl?" she asked, turning to look at a guard close by and calling him over quickly. She asked him something in their own language, and he paused before shaking his head and looking sincerely sorry. Kalin turned back to Ben and shook her head too. "They couldn't find a girl… I'm sorry Ben."

His throat seemed to close, and he shook his head before turned away quickly and heading up to the temple. Damien was trudging out, looking pale and rubbing his head as if trying to clear something. He knew what it was, and grimaced at the thought.

"Are you staying out here?" he asked quietly as they passed one another.

"I've seen enough, mate," he muttered as he paused momentarily before adding, "welcome to the city of nightmares...", and turned away to go back in and see how Walter was doing, still wondering if Danny was out there, or if he'd imagined her on the ship before when they were being fired upon.

Not long later, Damien walked back in and told Ben that providing Walter was well enough, they would be setting sail in two days time and the revolution was about to really begin.


	32. At the Mercy Of Night

And here we find Danny's experience in the Shifting Sands :o what will become of our little heroine?

Reviews, as always, are welcome :)

* * *

She was trudging through the sand on her own, and it shocked her how the days were so warm in the land, then the nights below freezing. She'd seen shadows creeping along with her, but part of her mind reassured her that they were tricks of the light. The moon always cast strange images, they even did back in her Silverpines. And she was probably imagining things because this bitter cold was a shock to the system, she tried reassuring herself.

Looking around, she saw the ghastly silhouettes of... something... stood out on the dunes. They were tall, looked strong and in the glint of the moonlight Dannt could tell they were carrying swords. Feeling slightly threatened, she pressed on, but kept a close eyes on them. One dared come closer, and Danny felt a snarl rip through her throat before she knew about it, and the creature stopped. It looked like the figure of a woman... but it wasn't human. Her body was bandaged, her eyes a deep glowing red, and her limbs seemed too long, too flexible for that of a human. They stared at one another, as if testing the waters, but the creture shrieked; long, loud and warning, and lifted one long bandages arm to point behind her before fleeing.

Danny felt it was a warning, felt the being was trying to make her escape some unknown threat, but she turned and saw nothing more than those shadows creeping through the night, moving with the moon.

Then there was the whispering voice. It was gentle, and calm, and it blew past on the wind. She felt as if it were the voice of the night, and it calmed her nerves and she embraced it happily, allowing it to come closer, to whisper a little louder.

"_You're a creature of night too,_" it whispered "_What do they call you?_"

She stopped, and turned. There was a long shadow cast after her that wasn't her own. It made her feel uneasy again, but it wasn't hurting her, and she addressed it.

"I grew up with Balverines," she started to explain, but she didn't feel the need to continue. She felt as if the shadow already knew.

So she turned and carried on walking, and still she could feel the presence of the shadow and the feeling that the voice was about to whisper in her ear again. She knew it was still there, and she started to dislike it, starting pushing it from her.

"Please leave," she said quietly, but the shadows seemed to edge a little closer.

"_They left you, you know,_" it hissed, "_they left you alone out here to die._"

"They'll be looking" she retorted calmly.

"_They're leaving come daylight. They're going back to Albion,_" it hissed, a little higher pitched, a little angrier.

"I'll be leaving with them," she said again, more firmly. The voice stopped, but the shadows still followed her. It was just as daylight cracked over the horizon that they all seemed to leave at once. They all seemed to flinch away and flee. The heat started to build again, and after what seemed like weeks she arrived on the outskirts of a destroyed city.

* * *

"You said you saw Danny?"

"I'm telling you, she was on the ship. She went down with us and… she can't be dead Wally."

The older man bit his lip, and his moustache bristled slightly. He heaved a sigh, then shook his head.

"Ben, she can't be… they'd have found her."

The rational part of his mind told him that Walter had been with Damien, had been older and more experienced in fighting, was a lot stronger but still nearly died out there. On the other hand, Danny was younger and used to surviving out in the wild. The fact that this was a different wild put a slight dampener on that, but he still wanted to have faith that Danny would make it through. He knew she was in Aurora, even if the others doubted her. But they'd waited two days and there had been search parties out looking for a brown haired girl in the desert, but nothing had come up. She should have been found if she were there. Almost like she could read minds, Kalin came to him and spoke very softly, her hand reaching up and resting gently on his shoulder.

"There are many beasts in our lands..." she said, sorrow laced into her words. "Sand Furies and the Shadows take their victims. I am sorry, but if she were here she has most likely fallen prey to them."

"I don't think so," Ben muttered defiantly, having more faith in Danny then he knew he should. That desert was a hell unto it's own. It wasn't natural and whatever monster was out there would have had her by now, it almost had him and he hadn't been out there a tenth of the time she had. He tried pushing it out of his mind, tried to convince himself that she was tucked up in his loft with today's copy of 'The Bowerstone Times' reading through the latest trashy article about the revolutionaries despite her illiteracy, or laughing at the picture of him with the title 'wanted for treason' above him. They never could get his nose right, it wasn't as large as they depicted it to be and he felt it was an injustice to his dashing good looks. Or perhaps she was down in the sewers making friends with Page, acting all chummy and happy. A long shot, but far better than any alternative.

"Ben! Come on, we're boarding now," Damien cried out from the deck while Ben wandered around on the dock.

"Couldn't you… couldn't you go without me and I'll wait here to see if Danny turns up?" he asked, knowing the answer already.

"Ben…" Damien's face fell, and he looked miserable for a minute, considering things before he answered. "I don't think she's out th- Look, if we don't go now, Logan's going to catch on to us. I'm sorry about Danny, I really am. But it's one life then to save many."

One life to save many? What about all the poor bastards going in to fight for the revolution? Ben seethed at the thought that Damien didn't consider them and the likelihood that a lot more people would probably die.

He turned on his heel and walked away from the ship, ignoring Damien and Walter's shouts, ignoring the Auroran people he passed on the way back into their shattered city. Kalin passed him, and the look she gave him was one of understanding. He could hear someone running through the sand after him and knew Damien was chasing him to knock some sense into him, but Kalin's voice floated above the other noise as she said;

"Give him a few minutes to come to terms with it. We're still loading anyway."

Ben silently thanked Kalin in his head and continued to walk on through the sand, manoeuvring around half crumpled buildings and piles of rubble until he found himself at the outskirts of the city. The sun was half risen and the desert beyond was half illuminated. Besides one figure that was slowly coming closer and closer to him. A thin, sickly looking person, lurching with each step and obviously dehydrated… a young girl who upon laying eyes on him deemed it safe enough to collapse under the weight of exhaustion.

"Danny!" Ben yelled, surprised to find himself running from the outskirts of Aurora to Danny lying face down in the sand and dust. He skidded to a halt beside her dropping to his knees, pulling her up and into his arms, minding the sunburns on her arms and holding her close to his chest. She was still breathing, and he let out a slightly manic laugh before hoisting her up into his arms and carrying her slowly back to the city.

The look of shock upon everyone's faces was a picture, though possibly not the best one. Kalin rushed to get one of her priestesses (the same one that had nursed Walter back to health overnight) and an alchemist to help Danny, while Damien and Walter stood aside in disbelief. It was agreed that Danny would be treated upon the ship, in one of the larger cabins with a suitable bed to keep her safe in. Ben agreed and carried her gently on board the ship, lying her down upon the blankets and stroking her damp hair out of her face.

The ship rocked into action and Ben watched as Kalin and her women fussed about Danny. Each of them looked petrified, and it wasn't something Ben appreciated. Kalin kept spooning water over Danny's face, cooling her down and helping wake her. It was when she spluttered to life that everybody leaned over, and she moaned softly.

"We're on a ship aren't we?" she whispered, then opened her mouth in a silent plead for more water.

"Yeah, but we're safe now," Ben said softly, stroking her hair back.

She nodded her head and pushed back slightly into the pillow behind her head, wincing as her burns rubbed against the sheets. Her eyes squeezed shut and she started muttering to herself. Kalin leaned in closer to her, trying to hear her but she was still unable to.

"Speak louder please," she said, and Danny gulped down some more water before taking a breath.

"I can still see the shadows," she whispered, biting her lip anxiously.

"Open your eyes," Kalin croaked, but even her tanned and painted skin seemed to pale. The four of them watched as Danny's eyes flickered open and the usual stark green was shadowy, ringed in black… as if someone had dropped ink into her eyes. Straight away she started writhing in pain and the darkness in her iris's spread to the white of her eyeballs. Ben was shoved from the room despite his yells of protest, and he was left to pace outside in a panic.

Danny was left blind after that incident. Or temporarily so, but a long silken scarf was tied around her eyes so she wouldn't strain them too much in the light. They'd also managed to get whatever it was out of her body, cursing it out or something like that. She took to the Aurorans quite nicely, letting one of the young women lead her around the ship as they sailed back to Albion if Ben was busy. If he wasn't, he never left her side if he could help it.

Today was slightly different though. She'd been taken out onto the deck and left to sit in a chair while the ship was anchored way off the shore of Albion while a lot of smaller ships sailed out to them, each containing the leaders of the other parts of the rebellion; The Dweller leaders, some soldiers, Page and a few mercenaries that joined their cause (mostly because of bloodlust).

"Well who do we have here Boulder?" came a males voice that seemed to lilt with an accent strange to her, each vowel used was stretched out and emphasized. "What's your name darlin'?"

"Danny," she said quietly, tilting her head up to where the voice was coming from.

"It's lovely to meet you Danny," he started, taking hold of her hand gently and pulling her to her feet. She could feel the calluses on his hands, but at the same time they were softened with age. This man was old, she could tell.

"I am Sabine," he started "And this is Boulder – be nice Boulder," he added, and she felt a much larger, much stronger hand take hers, though despite the size he shook her hand gently.

"Hello Boulder," she said quietly, smiling slightly as the larger man grunted in response.

"What happened to you?" came a sharper voice, and Danny scowled once she recognised it as Page's. She wanted nothing more than to lurch at her and snap her arm, just to make her shut up and realise nothign was wrong with her and she could still quite easily break her stupid little bones, but given her current condition it was probably best not to.

"She was attacked by a monster in our lands… but she should be fine now."

Danny could feel Kalin gently untie the scarf from behind her head, and pull the material away from her eyes. The sunlight was extremely bright and at first Danny hissed in pain and shock, hiding her face and listening only to the gasps and worried hisses of the Auroran people who knew if she were not healed by now then the blinding would be permenant. However after a few moments of blinking stupidly and squinting until her eyes became accostomed to the bright, warm Albion light, she was able to see properly, and with a happy bounce she hugged Kalin close and whispered a thanks.

Then she turned and saw Sabine and Boulder. Sabine was hunched and shorter than her, an old man wearing furs decorated with gold linked ringlets and silver threads. He jingled with each movement, though that seemed hardly noticeable. His strongest feature, the one that caught her attention most was the warmth in his brown eyes. They twinkled happily, his soul bared through those brown orbs and a youth twinkling beneath the surface that took years off his face. Boulder was a hulk of a man. One eye looked glassy, and Danny could only assume he was blind in that eye, but the loss of sight wouldn't hinder him much. Danny doubted even Drogo would have been able to floor this man, and she smiled slightly in spite of herself. They both seemed friendly enough, and they must have known about her upbringing because Sabine kept watching her closely, but he never acted differently towards her, he was accepting and his manner kind.

She stood idly aside as Ben, Damien and Walter went over the plan, changing it and accommodating the wants and needs of the other allies, allowing Sabine to take one side of the city, while Page and her rebels would storm the other.

"Anything you'd like to add Danny?" Damien asked, and she looked up quickly upon hearing her name.

"Um… I'd like to go ahead of you all…" she whispered, but only so Ben and Damien could hear her. Damien nodded, while Danny could feel Ben grip her shoulder quickly. She turned to him, looking into those stark blue eyes that a few months ago angered her to no end. Those blue eyes that she couldn't bare to look at or else fly into a fit of rage. They seemed so calm now, and she didn't know what had changed, but something was different and she smiled slightly.

"I'll be okay…"


	33. Sacking Bowerstone

Hey, so here is the first half of the siege on Bowerstone, the rebellion if you prefer. Please review, it'd mean a lot to me :)

* * *

Once the Auroran ship was close enough to the shore, Danny leapt from it and landed with a splash in the water. Instead of taking the direct and almost suicidal route up the path where the elite guards were stationed every few meters, she ran up through the trees and shrubbery near the side. The commotion from the screaming townspeople covered her footsteps, and darkness worked as her camouflage.

She scaled the walls quickly and vaulted up onto the other side, landing on the shoulders of a stray guard and knocking him unconscious. She wasted no time in stripping him of his weaponry and moving out quickly into the packed and panicked streets, moving with the crowd to try and get as close to the castle as possible. She was jogging along the street when her eyes met the most horrific sight she could imagine.

Danny could only watch in horror as two guards towered above a woman. They knocked her to the ground, laughing as she and her small babe landing among the rubble and cowered against the broken wall. With no hint of mercy or humanity they raised thei guns and shot her point blank in the head, and before Danny could do so much as move an inch, they'd shot the child too. Uttering a furious cry, Danny launched at them, shooting the first repeatedly before kicking the other in his groin, watching him slump to the floor before jumping with all her force on his head, hearing it crack and crunch beneath her, a blood curdling scream leaving his dying lips. She cared not for the fact that she was acting wild and terrible, but revelled in the fact that she'd stripped them of their base human rights as they'd done with the woman and her baby before.

She turned and shot at another guard who had turned the corner, and ran up a street. A few rebels joined her side as she ran quickly, and she saw strange men in furs were throwing explosives into the hoards of Kings' men, sending them sprawling and clutching bleeding wounds. She could only imagine these were Sabine's men, and she smiled slightly at how effective they were. Rebels were slashing at people, but Danny could only keep her eyes open for one person now, hoping to the Mother that he'd made it thus far safe and alive.

"OW! It's like being hit with a frozen sock!" someone yelled above the crowd, and with a delighted cry Danny turned to see Ben shooting back at someone, clutching his shoulder in pain.

"Twice in a month! What's the likelihood?" he asked Walter who laughed back that he was the one who kept getting in scraps.

"Ben!" she screamed, and he turned suddenly to her, his face falling from a pained grin to utter joy and surprise. "Ben!" she cried again, because it really was him, mussed hair and all.

She ran and he caught her midway, pulling her tight against him, ignoring the shouts and cried of the people around him, the thunder of guns and the creaking of homes ablaze. Ignoring how he smelled like sweat and gunpowder and how his shoulder was slowly becoming warm and sticky under her cheek where he'd been shot. He didn't seem phased either, holding her flush against him.

"You're okay" she choked, pulling him close to her. She felt him tense up and he pushed away to look at her, scrutinising her. Then a small smile broke across his face and he pulled her into a hug, lifting her off the ground and pressing his cheek against hers. She could feel his stubble rubbing against her cheek, and she laughed slightly, before remembering where they were and turning to see Walter gaping.

"We're fighting a fucking war!" he cried, smacking Ben roughly around the head before turning and shooting at a fresh wave of guards that flew around the corner. "And you saw her a few hours ago on the bloody ship!"

"It was just a hug, Walter!" Ben cried, winking at Danny before pulling out his own gun and lodging a bullet into a nearby guards head. "And don't I get a final hug before I get myself blown to bits?"

Another three of the thugs rounded the corner, aiming their guns at the trio, but they were shot dead in quick succession by Ben, who didn't so much as blink.

"Elite Guards' my ass," he muttered, before turning back to Danny. "Go to the loft now, stay there until I come for you."

"No!" she cried, grabbing his arm and arguing back "I'm fighting Ben, you can't make me leave."

"You'll get hurt!" he shouted about the sound of a house caving in on itself, showing burning rubble and wood down on the people nearby. "Look it's not safe here!"

"_I'm staying_!" she shouted, her Balverine tongue slipping out and stunning them both… she hadn't used it in so long.

"Danny go home," he cried, pulling her in to press his lips against her forehead. "I'll see you shortly."

She didn't say another word, but turned and sprinted through the crowds, ignoring his shouts for her to come back. She was heading in the wrong direction in his opinion, and she knew that but couldn't care less. She felt somewhat free, and vaulted over a high metal fence with ease, landing on the other side in the midst of a group of huddled guards. They cried out in shock as she pulled off one boot and threw it at one of them, winding him as it hit him in the stomach, then kicked the other off in another ones face.

She didn't bother fighting them, but launched herself over a stone wall, landing near Page who was trying to beat off five brutes on her own, finding herself being cornered.

Danny landed on she shoulders of one man, the pressure of her sudden force making him lose his balance and fall, his leg snapping at the angle he hit the floor, and Danny was in front of the black girl, snarling.

"Shit!" one of the men said, taking a step back. She vaguely remembered him as one of the guards who had stepped forward to try and kill her in the throne room, and he knew she was as good a fighter as any of them could hope to be. The others didn't seem to realise how dangerous she could be, and lunged at her. She pulled out her sword and dived at them, staying so low to the ground it was almost as if she were skirting across the stones. She slices through one mans' legs, leaving him crippled horribly at best, or dead if he bled out, then rolled and turned to the other two still standing: the third man had dropped his weapons and held his hands up in surrender.

A small howl ripped from her throat, and she felt almost giddy as she connected with a side of her she'd felt she'd been losing. Page watched on in amazement.

Still, the two men advanced on her, and she dived between them, standing up so her back was pressed against one of their chests. He grabbed her, and the other man shakily pointed his gun to shoot her. At the last possibly second she ripped herself from his grip, and the soldier who had been holding her was shot by his own comrade. She grappled with the one man still standing that hadn't surrendered and she turned his own gun on him, pulling sharply at the trigger and watching him collapse.

"I'm sorry!" she final man cried, looking petrified. "Shit, I'd be stupid if I didn't know I'm on the wrong side!"

"Take your helmet and breast plate off," Page ordered, and he complied. "You'll fight on our side?"

"Yes ma'am, and I'll try to convince my friends to join too… I'm not dying for that tyrant up there," he nodded towards the castle.

"Good," Danny laughed and stood forward to hug Page, a gesture that shocked her more than it could have shocked Page. "I'm sorry Page, I was a bitch," she laughed at the irony of that, and pulled away to smile at her.

"I… okay, well let's fight," Page said, though a small smile graced her lips.

They fought their way up through battlements together, guards slowly defaulting over to their side. Danny could see Ben cutting his way through the guards that were adamant on fighting for the King. Blood was spattered across his face, and his eyes were blazing with some ferocity as he fought.

"Page! Tell Ben I'm going back to help people escape," she cried over the screams and the sounds of fire cracking through wood.

"Okay! Avo bless you, Danny, be safe!" she shouted, clasping her arm and shaking it firmly once.

"And may our Mother smile on you," Danny replied solemnly.

She turned on her heel and legged it back to the town, trying to keep her wits about her as the sound of thunder crashed around her, and the screams of the people about her rang in her ears. She was nearly at the gates down to the ocean when something seared in her side, and she fell sprawling into the rubble, clutching her side as she screamed out.

Everything seemed to ebb into silence, as if she was listening to everything with water in her ears. It was muted… it was eerie.

She pulled her hand away from her side to look at the blood coating her hand and she gulped silently as she pressed herself back into a wall, taking a shaky breath, and closing her eyes for a moment. Just for a moment.


	34. Deathly Encounters

Another chapter for all y'all :) Review please, it'd make me feel awesome!

* * *

It hadn't scared her before; it had only been noise and the prospect of getting injured. But with a bullet sunk into her skin, she felt terror gripping at her chest, and the harsh reality of what was happening to her sank in.

She pressed further back into the shadows, trying to control her breathing. The thunderous sounds of guns were suddenly nothing compared to the tumultuous roar of mortars and groaning buildings. The sound of screaming mothers and crying children ripped through the air, freezing her blood as the sight of the baby being shot earlier that evening played through her mind again. She trembled with the fear that everyone in Old Quarter was feeling, and she took a shaky breath as she looked around quickly.

Standing slowly on her unstable feet, still clutching at her side which was bleeding much quicker than she'd initially realised, she wiped cold sweat away from her eyes with the back of her free hand and staggered forward slightly, away from the rubble of the collapsed building she'd fallen into, and plunged herself into the uproar of the street. She'd barely taken two steps when a terrified shrill scream caught her attention.

A child was crouched behind a lump of fallen bricks, shaking the still body of who could only have been her mother. The woman's eyes were wide as she was trembling slightly as blood plumed from her chest. She was trying to urge the child to leave without her, but the girl was having none of it, and insisted on trying to tug her dying mother along with her.

Danny lunged forward, sweeping the child up in her arms as she ignored the ripping pain in her side. She shot one look back at the mother who mouthed a small thank you before taking a last shuddering breath. The girl in her arms tried to fight away from her, reaching out for her dead mother with tears streaming down her face. Danny only pulled her closer, hugging her to her chest, before turning to dart through the panic-stricken folk of Bowerstone to get to the market place where it would be a little safer.

She was half way to the gates which were packed with people trying to force their way through when a cracking sounded above them, silencing the screams of the crowds who looked up stunned at the source of the sound. Danny looked up herself, and the building above her seemed to be leaning slowly towards them. It went slowly, and she was rooted to the spot for a second. Then there was another, louder crack, and the roof fell in and fire spurted up in the air, sending stone and burning wooden beams raining down on her and the girl in her arms.

Danny twisted violently away, while the child wrapped herself tightly in her arms, burying her face in Danny's chest. The path she'd just come down on was blocked with burning rubble, and as the larger part of the wall started to crack and pull away, she was left with no other choice but to get as far away from the tumbling building as possible, until she felt her back pressing against the wall of the house opposite. She dropped the girl to the floor and dived over her, protecting her with her own body and praying to the gods on high that they should live.

Tensing up for what seemed like forever she pictured Ben in her mind, smiling bitterly at the thought that the last kiss they'd shared had been over a month ago, and that was only led on by the antics of a drunken night before.

She could see his blond hair, and those enchantingly blue eyes glinting through the smoke that was billowing around the town.

A lump of bricks and clay hit her in the back of her legs and lower back, making her scream in agony and crumple up a little, though she still tried to stay up to make sure the child beneath her was okay. She could almost hear Ben calling her name, before the flames licked around her legs, smoke claimed her breath and the world became black.

* * *

He'd seen Damien into the castle with his well wishes, joking around by saying 'hope the crown fits'. Honestly though, his stomach was churning at the idea that Danny was still out there with the guards still slaughtering everyone in desperation to hold on to the power they had. He knew when he'd told her that she would completely disregard everything he told her, would not go home, and would keep on fighting... but it was a last-ditch attempt to try to keep the girl safe, which he really hoped she was. Running back down to the town he saw the remaining troops Logan had sent out were fighting on, still hoping that way the King would still be the ruler and they would still have their stranglehold over Bowerstone.

He'd blown the faces off the bastards on his way down, and when he'd run out of ammo he'd taken to cutting through them again with his cutlass, or chinning them if they got too close. He'd just about run himself ragged looking for the girl.

It was the roaring of flames bursting through a rooftop that made him look around so quickly, made everyone in the vicinity stop what they were doing and watch on in terror as the wall aside it started to groan and crumble at the foundations, eventually starting to topple over. There were shouts of terror from the people nearby or beneath it who scrambled to move away from it as quickly as possible. He looked closely at those people and saw Danny there, her hair wild and unkempt, her eyes darting about wildly as she looked for an escape route, but there was none. He couldn't help but notice the brilliant red stain of blood blooming from her side and his stomach lurched slightly, but he found himself transfixed, unable to move. There was a child in her arms, crying helplessly... and they were trapped by the fallen debris, only to watch as the stone structure fell over them. In a sudden movement they were on the ground, and just as the wall fell atop them Ben felt a cry rip from his throat, lurching forward slightly as fire and stone cascaded down on the two and smoke billowed up through the air.

He yelled out for her and lurched suddenly back to his senses, charging through the street, Page on his heels, followed by Sabine – leader of the Dweller tribes up in Mistpeaks, and Boulder – his idiot of a servant. Together they burst through the flames, ignoring the way they licked at their clothes and they heaved the heavy beam off her legs, patting the embers out on her clothes before rolling her over gently.

Ben looked her over, feeling his stomach twist violently. He felt like being sick, but scooped her up into his arms, holding her close to him as he stood and ran down the street, and Sabine lifted the trembling child up into his arms.

As Ben carried Danny, trying not to move her about too much, but he looked at her still face and whispered to her.

"Danny?"

She was unconscious but still breathing, and that was a good sign if anything, but now he needed to get her to a safe place so her injuries could be treated.

The only place he could think of going was the alchemists, so that's where he ran to. It had been opened as a first aid shelter to help the people who had been injured. He ran in and laid her down on the nearest available mat, making sure she was still before pulling his hands out from under her.

To his horror,there was more blood there than he'd first interpreted. Of course he'd seen it before the beam had fallen on her, but he had thought some of it wouldn't be hers... and his stomach churned again as it dripped slowly onto the floor. Then he felt himself being shoved away from her violently, and almost in a blur the alchemist was there mixing herbs and digging out bandages from his wooden chest, quickly setting to cleaning Danny's wounds and bandaging her up. Her chest rose and fell more slowly, her eyelids flickering slightly as her breathing became shallower.

The old alchemist shook his head despairingly, muttering to himself as he pushing his fingers into an open wound in her side. Her eyes flew open in a second, but she didn't move, nor make any sound. They closed again almost painfully slowly when he pulled a bullet from her side, dropping it on the floor.

He bandaged her up, pushing the herb mix against her wound to help keep it clean, and fight away infection. He stopped and looked at her, then turned to Ben and shook his head.

"I wouldn't hold out much hope," he said quietly, and Ben felt himself choke slightly as Page laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her, and could only see pity and sadness. It was like she believed Danny was as good as dead already, and the terrible realisation and sadness swept over him, as he knelt beside her body, leant over her so he could look into her beautiful face and whisper;

"Please Avo… not Danny."


	35. Before The Trial

Review please :)

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Ben stayed by her side constantly for the week after Danny had been injured. The alchemist was surprised she clung on for so long, but didn't recommend moving her as he said her back was severely injured. Thankfully he could assure them it was not broken, and that as long as she paced herself she could go back to her usual self, and with training her agility would be the same as it always had.

One thing benefited Ben, and the others. She was still alive, and that was better than he being dead. As long as she could cling on then there would be some good point to this. Ben had often talked quietly to Walter and Sabine about her wellbeing, airing his worries that she might not heal properly and wouldn't have the freedom she was used to, restricted by her limited abilities. There was the other point that she might be in constant pain for the rest of her life, and plying her with medicines and potions everyday to try and help her was not something Ben was looking farward to.

The elder two men tended to shake their heads and say he was being overly worried, and that he was looking at all the negatives of the situation.

"We don't know about her upbringing, she might have become more resiliant to these things growing up in the wild," Sabine pointed out, as he stroked his beard thoughtfully. Walter nodded his agreement, and their confidence helped ease Ben ever so slightly.

He missed Damien getting crowned King, as the week rolled by, he knew sooner or later he'd have to leave Danny and go up to the castle to be there for Logan's trial. He wanted the man killed, and would be happy to be the one to do it, but he didn't want to leave Danny alone here. Damien had the courtesy and grace to postpone the trial, but the people were becoming frustrated, and it would have to be done sooner or later.

"You need a bath," someone said behind him, and Ben turned in surprise to see Damien leaning against the door frame, looking odd in his royal attire, the crown atop his head.

"Who got defeated in a revolution and made you king?" Ben joked slightly, but he didn't feel as if he could put his heart into it. Damien let out a slight chuckle before sighing and striding over.

"How long has she been like this again?" he asked, sitting on a chair next to Ben and looking down at the broken girl.

"A week," Ben sighed. "We're keeping her alive off water and honey. Anything else would make her ill. We're also giving her drops of the health potions he has... keep her strength up and help her heal kinda thing."

"Would we be able to bring her up to the castle?" Damien turned and asked the alchemist, who bit his already chewed lip and ran a hand through his hair as he thought. It was obvioudly not the best idea, but it would be more suitable than her sleeping on a dusty floor.

"Perhaps if she were lay flat on a stretcher of some kind, but we would have to be very careful with her."

"Then we'll do that," Damien said, standing. "I'll get Walter to come and help… you really need some sleep, you look a mess."

"Thanks mate," Ben huffed, standing up and shaking his hand, all his joints cracking and groaning in protest. He felt exhausted and emaciated, having not eaten properly in days and only sleeping an hour at a time. He hadn't had a chance to shave and the usual stubble that covered his face was now the starts of a darker blond beard and moustache.

Once Damien left, he heard the smallest voice in the world, and turned to see Danny with her eyes open to narrow green slits. She was awake, and he almost whooped with joy.

"You really do need a bath," she muttered, wrinkling her nose. "But I do too…"

"We both stink a bit," he chuckled, though shocked, almost in a daze that she was awake and talking to him… and alive.

The alchemist came over quickly, and after a quick check over her body it was certain that she would walk again as she felt the older man pinch her toes and almost kicked him in the face because of it. It would be a matter of weeks, and she was told that she was an extremely lucky woman to still be alive.

He waited patiently until Damien returned with Walter, and was pleased to see the other two ecstatic to see Danny actually awake.

"You soon got better, I was only here this morning," Damien laughed, crouching down beside her to brush a few loose strands of hair from her face. The four men went about the careful procedure of lifting Danny gently off the floor, and she stayed as still as possible so she wouldn't get hurt any more.

Once on the stretcher, Damien pressed a bag of gold into Bens' hand, advising him to get a shave and perhaps a change of clothes before coming up to the castle for a bath. Ben said a quick goodbye to Danny, looking deep into those green eyes as Damien and Walter carried her up to the castle.

He nipped around the corner to the barbers and had to ignore the mans' flirting and advances and ended up, for the first time in years, properly clean shaven. His hair trimmed so it looked slightly more tidy than its usual shagginess. Afterwards he ran over to the clothing store and happily bought a fresh pair of untorn, unbloodied pants and boots and a new white shirt; just the basics until he could go home and grab a change of his uniform. Then he made his way to the castle, checking in on Danny to make sure she was still safe before going to have the bath that had already been drawn up for him, and having a good long kip.

He'd had to go to the trial, passing by Danny's room first though to see if she was awake and okay. Poking his head through the door he saw she was sat up against multitudes of pillows, eyes closed and looking relaxed, and she'd been bathed too and was much cleaner than she had been a few hours previously.

"How're you feeling?" he asked, walking in and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"It hurts," she whispered, keeping her eyes closed, but smiling slightly as he took hold of her hand.

"It's bound to love… I'm sorry though, I have to go to the trial."

It was in this moment her eyes opened and she looked at him properly. There was something new in those green orbs, something stronger and more powerful, something he'd seen when he first met her but had disappeared as the months went on.

"I want to come too," she said clearly, "I want to speak."

Ben paused, looking at her, but shook his head after a moment of thought. She was weak, she was in pain, and there wasn't much she could say that was new in this case against Logan. And he told her as much to her complete and utter outrage.

"Ben! You can't stop me going; I should be there to see what happens."

"How so?" he asked, feeling irritated again.

"it's because of him I'm like this… I want to go."

The blond bit his lip, pondering over it before huffing. She was dead set in this, quite obviously, and he'd be blasted by Damien if he ignored her and left her upset in her room. So he pulled back the covers and lifted her gently up into his arms, pulling her close so she was steady and waiting until she'd found a more comfortable position before carrying her out of the room, and up to the throne room ready for the trial.


	36. Forgiveness And Unity

I've started naming my chapters, for some reason, because I felt like it really, and for the past few days I've been working on an INSANELY long one shot for Fable as well. It's called 'Requiem', and I hope you like it if you decide to check it out. Reviews would be immensely appreciated :)

* * *

Damien, thankfully, was more than okay with Danny being present at the trial, and had even gone out of his way to get her a comfortable chair so her back wouldn't be as sore. She was thankful for this, but wasn't quite sure how this event would play out.

She listened as Ben stated quite clearly that he'd seen Swifty get shot like it was 'a bloody circus act', and after all this why should Logan live? Danny remembered vaguely how he'd referred to people in Silverpines treating her like she was a circus act, and figured out that it was his way of saying people weren't taking them seriously, and treated them with little respect... which she agreed with on many levels. Sabine made the same plea, while Page said they shouldn't stoop to his level basically, and they hadn't come this far just to have someone shot. Kalin had the last word before Logan spoke up, telling everyone how he'd left them for dead, and though it wasn't her place to decide his sentence it was blatantly obvious what she thought.

Damien turned to Danny, and she paused for a second, looking up into those warm brown eyes before turning her gaze and looking into the matching pair of his brothers'. They were only slightly colder, slightly more defensive, but a lot more troubled. She read those eyes like she'd read her Balverine's. He was frightened, and scared, and a poor, pathetic creature that had turned to the absolute last resort to try and rule the Kingdom.

"Can I speak in a minute?" she asked, and Damien nodded, then turned back to Logan, indicating that it was his turn to take the floor.

Logan had been looking up and Danny, with the slightest hint of wonder on his face. Then he seemed to come to his senses and explained that he'd done all that he had done for a reason… the Darkness was coming to Albion.

A wave of terror gripped her, and she looked quickly to Ben, but he'd kept his face composed, looked from Damien to Walter who had both turned as white as sheets. The image of the shadows flickered before her eyes before she'd remembered the pain of the shadow that took her sight from her, and how the whispering in the desert had made her question everything she'd been taught to know by the humans she'd surrounded herself with. She knew that Damien had faced this Darkness, whatever it was, she'd heard him talking in low voices to Walter and Ben about it when they'd thought she'd been asleep, and she knew then that Damien would protect his brother like Drogo had protected his family. And she understood why.

After Logan finished his speech, Damien cleared his throat and turned to Danny, considering her again. What she said would make very little difference now to the new King's decision, but she wanted to speak anyway.

"I… I have been treated badly in the past few months," She said, loud enough for the completely silent room to hear her. Everyone knew what she was, and she knew that. "I've gone from being part of a pack, where Balverines treated me with love, to being an outsider, and being hurt, and being tortured. I've seen the best and worst of humans… and Logan is neither."

There was a low rumble of whispers and confused exchanges, a lot of people shifted from foot to foot, while a few people in the crowds – rebels who'd treated her badly – look ashamed.

"Logan did not treat me well. He risked my life for his own fun, and sent me away to where both he and I thought I would die. Because of him I've lost my family, many of my friends-" her thoughts flickered briefly to the Balverines that Logan had sent the soldiers to kill, and Jammy, who'd died in her arms "- and I've been close to death myself on more occasions than I'd have liked. But he's made no more mistakes than any human would if they had his power. He's had to rule the whole country, and he's made decisions that have been good and bad, but he did it to try and make things better."

The look on everyone's face was priceless, though it was mostly shock because she hadn't ever spoken for that long before… mostly because she'd never had to, but this was different. This man was misunderstood. Cruel sometimes, and quite horrible too, but everyone needed to see the other side of it.

"You're backing him up? You're sticking up for him after what he's done to you?"

Danny looked up at Ben, then looked quickly at Damien who had the same confused expression on his face. She nodded slowly, and while Ben let out a frustrated groan, Damien nodded, and she continued, finishing her small speech.

"He shouldn't die."

Damien stood then while Ben stared at her, aghast. The King cleared his throat, rendering the room silent again, every man, woman and child waiting on baited breath to hear the sentence.

"Logan, the things you've done are completely unforgivable… but if one person who you've done so much wrong to can find it in them to forgive you, then I'm sure others can too. This is not a time to be killing one another… this is a time to stand together and protect our Albion."

And with that, the trial was over. Ben gave Logan a loathing look, and Danny could tell that he would not forgive him for any of the wrong he'd done any time soon, then he turned to Danny and lifted her out of the chair, even in his bitterness and resentment towards Logan and the anger he felt towards Danny for defending him, he was ever so gentle with her. He carried her up to her room and lay her down on the bed, kissing her forehead as he did so.

"You're not happy, are you?" she asked him tentatively, smoothing out the sheets with her hands and avoiding eye contact.

"No really… but I'll get over it. Now get some sleep, I suppose these next few weeks are going to be full of _fun,_" he replied, somewhat sarcastically. She caught this and smiled, before resting her head back and closing her eyes. Within seconds, she was gone.

* * *

_It was like she'd been lay in the grass at Silverpines, and she felt like she was cuddling close to Balverines again, feeling their warmth and protection around her._

_Drogo was there, nuzzling her hair every now and then letting her know she was safe, and she lay, happy and content for as long as it was. There didn't seem to be a concept of time. It was always mid morning, where it was cool, but the sun was up and it just about warmed your toes. The birds chirped overhead, and she could curl her toes ever so slightly to feel the grass was still damp with morning dew. The cubs were running about playing with one another, but she was lying down, with Drogo, until she felt the earth tremble._

_She sat up, and the sun rolled over in the sky, and the moon appeared, and they chased one another. The sky grew dark rapidly, then the sun would round over the east horizon again and it would be the next day. The earth was spinning too quickly, and she looked to Drogo to see he was still content in the grass._

_"What's happening?" she cried, trying to stand, but the ground shuddered._

_"We're in the Motherland," Drogo yawned, and he stood lazily to hold her close and still. Suddenly the sun was blazing down on them, high noon, and she could feel the warmth flooding through her, but she felt cold._

_"Mother land?" she whispered, knowing that was where they went in death… "But I was fine… I can't have…"_

_"No," Drogo laughed, his wolfish grin breaking out over his face. "No, you're alive, but you need to find the strength to overcome these next few months. Our gods have brought you here as a visitor, as we need to talk. But they are not patient. You need to go back."_

_Tears welled in her eyes and she flung her arms around him, burying her face in his soft fur. He smelled sweeter than he used to… like lavender._

_"But I… we…"_

_"I love you Daenerys," he said softly, pushing her away. "But Ben Finn loves you, and you love him too."_

_"Ben…" she whispered, and looked away from Drogo as she remembered the blond haired man that had been keeping her safe… the same man who had lain her to bed a few moments ago._

_"The next year will be hard. There is a darkness coming that is a danger to all creatures. Daenerys, you need to unite the Balverines and the men to be able to overcome this. The coming war is everyone's, and nobody will be safe unless we work together."_

_Danny felt her jaw drop, and she flustered around for a second before biting her lip._

_"Drogo, the men hate us…" she started, but he shushed her and smiled toothily._

_"No, the men hate Balverines. But their alpha likes you, he trusts you, and if you can make him and Kali see eye to eye then you should be able to make this work."_

_Tears pricked her eyes and she let out a choked sob before flinging herself into Drogo's chest, shaking as she cried._

_"I can't do it!" she wept, wiping her tears away with Drogo's fur, nuzzling her face into his chest to hide her tears, though he knew they were there. "I'm not strong enough, I-"_

_"Daenerys, you are strong. You've always been strong. Believe in yourself and you will succeed."_

_"But I've forgotten my mother tongue," she whispered. Besides the one outburst in the heat of the fight in Bowerstone, she'd not been able to use it since leaving Aurora. No matter how hard she'd tried, she couldn't remember the language she'd grown up using. That Darkness had taken that from her, a token of it's hatred. To her anger and frustration, Drogo let out a loud wolfish laugh, howling out as it burst from him._

_"But Daenerys, you've been speaking it this whole time!"_

* * *

Ben watched as her eyes snapped open and she started up at him, her pupils' mere specks in the vast green. Her skin was clammy, and pale, and she looked shocked.

"Danny? Avo wept, you stopped breathing in your sleep…" he gasped, as nurses and the alchemist swept around her room, grabbing potions. The old man tried to coax her mouth open to pour one down her throat, but she pushed him away roughly, swatting at his hand when he tried to lift the potion to her mouth. Damien was stood in the back of the room, looking over with concern written starkly across his face.

Then she opened her mouth, and a garbled mess of growls and whimpers came out, and something in her twigged. She gave a happy whoop before reaching out for Ben, and pulling herself up against him, swinging her legs out of bed despite everybody protesting, and standing up beside the blond, though leaning heavily against him.

"I'm sorry, come again?" he muttered, and she laughed, a tinkling sound like falling glass. Musical. She swept her brown hair away from her face and grinned up at him.

"I want to go home. I have an idea."


	37. Back To The Woods

Hey, so a few more people reviewed, which is amazing! I actually feel really happy because it's been ages since people reviewed and I personally love hearing what people think about this. So yeah, lol.

I actually have 85 chapters for this story, all done and dusted, so it's just a case of figuring out how many I'm posting at once. Thank you to the people reviewing, thank you for liking my work so far, and please keep reviewing :)

* * *

"Ben?" she called out, and he turned to look at her. She was dressed in a pair of baggy brown pants, something she could move freely in, and a white shirt that was equally as baggy on her.

In fact, these clothes were his.

"You're stealing my clothes now?" he chuckled, as she walked over to him slowly. Her recovery was miraculous, though Damien pointed out that she had been fed a lot of health potions to build her strength up, and they might have all kicked in at once now she was awake and her body properly functioning.

She only smiled at him, wandering around his small home, chewing on a carrot she'd bought from a stall before because she was feeling peckish. Ben was packing some food up for the journey, but he couldn't get rid of the knot in his stomach that made him feel so tense. The last time he'd been in Silverpines he'd had a hand in murdering Danny's family, and now he was going back… would those Balverines remember him? Would they kill him?

Was this actually a trick Danny was playing on him to get revenge? She'd tried to kill him a few times since they'd met, and a couple of months shouldn't have changed that too much.

That was when he felt her loop her arms around his waist, and she was hugging him from behind.

"You're nervous" she whispered, before loosening her arms so he could turn around and embrace her. "Don't be. I think they'll love you."

"You seem sure," he yawned, resting his chin on her head.

"You'll be with me. I won't let them hurt you," she reassured him, and he smiled slightly. "I can't let them hurt you, you saved my life."

Ben pulled away slightly and looked at her. She was smiling coyly at him, her lip twisting up on the right. Her eyes were glittering again, and Ben could tell she was happy by the way her grin got bigger.

"Well, okay then."

Damien had insisted they wait a week before setting off to Silverpines, and so she'd waited around and made plans with Ben until that week was over and she proved that she was capable of moving around on her own. And she was. She ran about, and jumped and somersaulted about until she was out of breath, but she was happy, because she was suddenly back in touch with a part of herself that she'd almost forgotten.

They were travelling down through Millfields again, but there was no trouble from mercenaries or Hobbes or any other enemies. They travelled in a large cart, her and Ben at the front watching the road and another eleven soldiers coming with them to make sure that nothing went wrong at all. They were mostly men that were in the Swift Brigade, and Ben and Danny got along with them well. There were about three men from another troop, but they settled in fairly quickly thanks to the friendly atmosphere.

And after a few hours alternating from sitting in the cart, then getting out and leaping from branch to branch, and tree to tree, Danny made out the edge of the forests of Silverpines.

Home was just over the next ridge, and she felt a sudden happiness swell in her throat, and she could have cried.

From then, she sat fidgeting in the cart while Ben tried to get her to calm down. She was mostly happy that she was back, but what if non of her family recognised her, or didn't like the fact that she'd changed? Would she be able to join her pack and her friends together to fight the Darkness?

The old trees met them along the road, and she breathed in that damp air that she'd grown with, and she looked up and sniffed at the woodsy air, letting it fill her lungs. The green light that filtered down from the trees made her squint, but she smiled nonetheless.

The wooden spiked fence surrounding the village came into view, and the distant howl of a Balverine made the hair on her arms stick up on end. Shooting a quick glance at Ben, she leapt from the cart and ran up the rest of the path, into the village and looking around. Some people stopped and looked at her, few recognising her as the Balverine Child they'd found months ago, caged and then sent away with soldiers.

Only one ran up to meet her, flinging her arms around Danny's neck and holding her close in a bone crushing hug.

"Alice!" Genevieve cried, tears pouring from the green eyes that matched Danny's so well, "You've come home!"

It took Danny a second, but she remembered being called Alice when she'd first interacted with the humans, and she smiled sadly, understanding fully now who this woman was and what she was to this woman.

"My name's Danny now…" she said softly, prising the woman's arms away from her and holding her hands.

"Hey Genevieve, how've you been holding up?" Ben asked, jumping from the cart as the rest of the soldiers got off and started passing out their kit. The woman looked slightly taken aback at Danny actually speaking to her, as last time they were in such close proximity Danny tried ripping her hand off. But then she looked at Ben, and nodded slowly.

"It's been better… but the Balverines have come back twice as strong since you left."

"Are some of them the same as when I was here?" Danny asked quickly, and Genevieve paused.

"I couldn't tell you… I suppose so; I don't think all of them were killed were they?"

"No… no not all of them," Ben muttered, then pulled Danny into a one armed hug "We left you some family, didn't we?"

Danny could only smile bitterly, remembering how torn up she'd been when it had happened, and trying to ignore the dull throb of pain in her chest now.

"We're actually going in there again, Danny and myself," he started, but the look on Genevieve's face stopped him short of the end of his sentence, and he turned to where she was looking to see Joseph, red in the face and angry as hell.

"You brought her back?" he spat, his eyes narrowing to slits as he snarled at them both "You brought her back here after everything she did last time?"

"It wasn't exactly her fault," Ben sniped back "She didn't know better."

"I want her out, now! Where's that Swift bloke? I'll have his head for this-"

"He's dead. Logan had him shot months back," Danny hissed, her eyes narrowing dangerously. Joseph looked shocked that she was speaking, but went back to glowering.

"Well who's in charge then? What business do you have here?"

"I'm in charge," Ben chuckled darkly, his normally bright blue eyes seeming shadowy. "And we're here on orders of the new King. We're sorting out your Balverine problem."

The fat old man blustered about, but nothing he muttered was too audible, nor did it make sense. He left them anyway, cursing, and Danny turned to Ben.

"We'd probably better set off soon… we don't want to leave it till nightfall."


	38. Help Us

And another chapter :D wondering if I'm posting these up too quickly, but I have another 47 chapters for you all, so you know, it's cool for now :)

Please review, it's always appreciated

* * *

They'd both been walking for about twenty minutes, getting to the open glade where so many of her pack had been massacred when there was a great whooshing sound, as if something had cut through the wind, and snarls ripped from the throats of four Balverines that was circling them. Danny could see Ben's fingers twitching towards his gun, so she shot her own hand out and grabbed him by the wrist, stopping him from doing so.

All the while, she kept eye contact with one Balverine that she recognised. The largest and the one that looked most confused at her now.

"_Daenerys_…?" it whispered, and she grinned at him, striding forward with more confidence than she was aware she had, and wrapping her arms around Kali's neck again.

"_It's nice to see you again_!" she cried, her first language slipping out, easier than anything she'd had to do in the last few months. "_This is my friend,_" she added, pointing to Ben.

"_Leave them,_" Kali called, warning the other three Balverines off. "_This is our sister, she grew with us. That is her mate._"

Instantly the Balverines recoiled, knowing that it was a great dishonour to kill their own family, and an even greater dishonour to kill their mates. The smallest Balverine of the three trotted up to her, and nosed her hand, sniffing.

"_She smells familiar,_" it noted, and it looked up into her eyes. "_Do I know you?_"

"_Yes Ika. She saved your life when you were a pup. The last time the humans were here._"

Danny stared at this young Balverine for a moment, and he stared back, before realisation dawned on them both and they hugged, happily.

"_You're the pup who was chasing the butterfly!_" she cried, and he nodded ecstatically.

Danny turned and saw Ben standing awkwardly, as the other two Balverines sniffed him, mumbling their distaste but not threatening him in any manner.

"Are you okay Ben?" she asked him, changing back to Anglican as she remembered Ben didn't understand what she was saying in Balverine, and his head snapped up and he nodded mutely, before he remembered his voice.

"Yeah, yeah, just waiting for you…" he said, trying to look at ease, when in reality his heart was pounding a mile a minute. She smiled at him, trying to put him at ease, and then turned back to Kali.

"_We actually need help… can we speak to the alpha?_" she asked, and Kali chuckled, a low rumbling growl in his throat, but friendly anyway.

"_I am the alpha, but come back into the hollow. You'll need to see everyone anyway._"

Ben was following close behind Danny, as they walked along with the four Balverines. It made him wonder how man and beast had become so hostile to one another, when these animals were so placid right now, and so comfortable around himself and Danny. Watching Danny made him think too. Had he made the best decision when he'd convinced her to come back to Bowerstone with him about six months ago? That was six months of her life he'd altered and taken control of, and he had no right to influence her decision the way he had. She obviously belonged here, the way she loped about, smiling and talking to them as if she hadn't a care in the world.

The trees, after becoming incredibly dense, thinned out almost instantly, and revealed a large hallow, with nests up in the trees, burrows in the ground, and about a hundred Balverines looking down at them with bright yellow eyes.

The alpha howled something to them, and there was a chatter, clicking sounds and howls sounded back, and Ben watched anxiously as Danny took a few steps forward, only to be jumped on by about twenty of the creatures, each embracing her and licking her face, some whimpering and crying out. He could only watch on in a mix of curious wonder and bittersweet happiness as she beamed at them all, chattering away in their language, before she stopped dead, hushed them all, and moved away, in his direction.

She passed right by, and crouched by the head of an old grey bitch. Ben watched as she stroked her fur gently, smiling slightly as tears rolled down her face. She looked up at Ben, and with a sniff informed him;

"This is my mother."

He took a few careful steps towards the old animal, saw that she was crippled, her legs sticking out oddly… probably arthritis in her old age, and her bones were almost visible through the pale skin and thinned out fur. Her eyes were a pale yellow, and he could only assume the creature was blind too. But she sniffed the air, and whined a little, making Danny shush her before beckoning Ben closer.

"She wants to smell you" she whispered to him, before mumbling something to the Balverine. He held his hand out to the Balverines nose, and waited as she took a long sniff, then whined again and licked his hand. Her tongue was rough, like sand. He was surprised how gentle each of these creatures were, and looked up at Danny, who had tears in her eyes.

"She likes you," she told him, taking hold of his hand with her own and lacing her fingers through his. "A lot."

"Well… I like her too," he smiled, and looked down at the old girl, before running his fingers gently through her hair. Danny translated what Ben said, and the creature smiled wolfishly before closing her eyes and falling asleep. She must really be old.

"As long as you only tell her that I'm a rather debonair gent, then everything should be alright," he laughed.

"I told her you're a scum bag and an arrogant ass. She suggested setting Kali on you, but I told her it was ok."

He knew she was kidding, her eyes told him so. Yet he still felt somewhat intimidated by the multitudes of Balverines watching them.

After meeting her mother again, and talking for a little while with her family, she sat down with Kali and spent the best part of an hour telling him all about what had been happening to her, which led her up to being able to explain how she needed her pack to help her.

Kali stayed quiet for a long time, chewing the inside of his cheek as he thought it over.

"_The humans kill us,_" he said finally "_why should we help them?_"

"_I can make it so they won't kill you,_" Danny bargained "_If the pack stops threatening people, and we can convince other packs to do the same, then we can all live alongside one another._"

"_Have you forgotten what they did to us?_" he whispered, narrowing his eyes at her, the calm gold turning into an angry yellow.

"_Of course I haven't,_" she growled back "_I watched them shoot Drogo. He died in my arms… I heard his last words,_" she gulped, feeling a lump in her throat as she recalled those few choked words he'd managed before he died. "_Even though they killed him, he said I should forgive them…_"

"_Drogo hated the humans… he'd never forgive them._"

"_He had nothing left to lose,_" she hissed, feeling angrier "_Why hate people in death? The Mother doesn't allow hate…_"

Kali scowled at her, and she felt Ben take hold of her arm, gripping it tightly. He knew something was going wrong.

"_Kali… if we don't work together then everything will die. All humans, all Balverines… everything. This monster took my sight from me, and it didn't even touch me. It's evil, and it's not going to stop._"

Kali went quiet again, while Ika stared on nervously while the older Balverine thought over everything.

"_I'll think about it,_" he sighed "_How long do we have?_"

Danny paused and looked at Ben, who looked back. He was pale, and there was a frightened glint in his eye that betrayed his stoic face.

"How long do we have?" she asked him, and he cleared his throat before replying;

"Less than a year."

Danny turned and relayed the information to Kali, who sighed again, then asked her to leave. He'd find her and tell her if they would fight or not. He needed to address the pack first, but he wanted her to leave.

So she took Ben's hand, and did exactly that.


	39. I Like You

Just a short one this time. No real message, just please review :)

* * *

Danny hadn't said a word on the ride back to Bowerstone. She barely even responded to what they were saying or asking her. It seemed like she was mulling everything over in her mind, and she didn't want to be disturbed. It was frustrating too. He wondered how she could walk into the hollow, into the midst of those Balverines that were thrilled at her return, that accepted her and loved her and respected her enough not to kill him where he stood. The Balverines that welcomed them in, that acted like family, that took to him and even – in the case of her mother – admitted to liking him, and then she could leave and not want to stay there and live with them despite knowing the end was coming.

If he'd had the chance, he'd have lived out the rest of his days running around causing trouble with his brothers. He'd have taken that over a lifetime without them any day, even if it meant the days together were numbered.

Travelling through the market, he stopped the cart and jumped out, and motioned for Danny to do the same. She followed him, with a questioning look on her face, while he told the other soldiers to go back to the castle and rest up.

As the cart trundled up the road and out of sight, Danny turned to Ben.

"What's going on? Why aren't we going back to the castle?"

He took her hand, and started walking slowly in the direction of Industrial.

"You need some time away. All it's been is fighting, healing, then working," he said gently, pulling her closer and wrapping an arm around her waist. She didn't argue or fight against him, she just mirrored his actions and lay her head against his shoulder, and they walked, swaying through the quiet streets.

"Have you ever had a rooftop picnic?" he asked, then chuckled. "No, course not. Unless you're keeping secrets from me." She smiled slightly, and looked up at him through her long lashes.

"Why are you so nice to me?"

He stopped dead, confused, and looked down at her. He took a small step back, and cocked his head slightly.

"Can't I be nice to you?"

"You're always nice to me… not everyone is."

"You're my... friend," he said, chuckling slightly and trying to ignore the hesistation he made over the word 'friend'. He wanted to say something else, but he was thoroughly confused about what brought this on. "I'm meant to be nice to you."

She nodded slightly, and he watched as she bit her lip and looked away, still thinking.

"Why are you nice to me?" he asked after a moment of silence, turning the question back on her. She looked up, her mouth dropping into a small 'o' and her eyes widened, slightly, before she sucked in her bottom lip and bit it, thinking. Then she took a small breath and looked up into his pool blue eyes.

"I like you Ben," she said simply, then paused. "What's a rooftop picnic?"

* * *

"I like you Ben."

That's all he heard before his brain stopped for a second, and it didn't register that she'd continued to talk. His mind was racing. Did she mean she liked him as a friend, or actually liked him.

"Ben?"

He snapped his head up, looking at her.

"You like me?" he said, not realising what was spilling from his mouth. His voice also seemed an octave higher, it was like his balls had heard a woman liked him and then jumped back up inside him. This didn't normally happen.

"… Yes… do people… do you not tell people that?" she asked, looking a bit confused.

"Well, people do admit to it, but not as forwardly as that," he shrugged, trying to brush it off, but Danny stood there, looking confused.

"You don't tell each other that you like each other?" she asked, and Ben sighed in slight exasperation.

"I don't know Danny, I don't normally tell people I like them."

She leaned up against the brick wall behind her, crossing her arms.

"How do you let them know then?"

He turned to her, looking at her properly. She was still wearing those brown pants, but they'd somehow got torn and she'd cropped them up to her knees on both sides, something he'd only just noticed. His shirt was dirty too, not really white anymore, but a dusty colour, sleeves rolled up to the elbow and very baggy on her. The V shape in the neck came right down past her collar bone to the dip between her breasts, which were left unbound by any corset or brazier because they were too constricting for her.

Her legs were long and slender, marred only by a few long pink scars from all the fights and battles she'd been in over the past few months.

Her hair was a straggly mess, knotted and twisting about her head, and her left cheek was smudged with dirt. Her cheeks were flushed red, her eyes wide and beautiful, and her lips a perfect cupids bow. He took a small step towards her, putting his hands against the wall on either side of her waist and pressing himself gently against her. She'd unfolded her arms by that time, pressing her palms against his chest, but not pushing him away at all.

"I show people I like," he said, leaning down until their foreheads touched "and I mean people I _really_ like, such as you, not Walter or anyone else," their noses touched, their lips almost touching "that I like them… like this."


	40. Getting Drunk

Another shorty, but I think the next one is longer. Can't be sure, it's been a while since I looked at it :p I'm also embarking upon another Fable fic, and I have 5 chapters so far!

* * *

She could feel his stubble brushing against her chin as he kissed her, and when she cracked her eyes open she could make out those small cuts on his face again. His hands moved away from the wall, and rested instead on her hips, pulled her body flush against him, before he pulled his lips away, opening his sparkling blue eyes and looking into her own green ones, before dipping his head again and kissing her shoulder affectionately.

The moonlight made him look pale and his hair a stark gold tangled in a mess upon his head. But he looked so much taller now, so much stronger and more impressive.

"Do you do that to everyone you like?" she whispered, shifting slightly so her back was pressed more firmly against the cold damp wall. He let out a laugh, a long, happy laugh before he scooped her up into his arms, lifting her clean off the ground and hugging her close.

"No, just you sweetheart," he chuckled, while grinning so wide that the corners of his eyes crinkled up.

She smiled back at him, then felt her cheeks burning and looked away quickly, embarrassed.

They lay down on the cold slates of the roof, just over his home. She was curled up into his side, her arm draped across his chest while his encircled her back and kept her close to him. They'd grabbed some food from a stall that hadn't finished closing, paying the vendor that little bit extra for the inconvenience, and Ben brought a bottle of wine up from the cupboard.

It was the first time Danny had ever actually drunk anything alcoholic, and she'd not realised how quickly it was going to her head because it was so sweet. Ben could see her swaying slightly, a large smile plastered across her face, so took the wine from her, urged her to drink some water, and then he got her to cuddle up with him, in a perfectly innocent way considering he was the infamous Ben Finn, womaniser and scoundrel all in one convenient package.

He couldn't bring himself to try and coax Danny into bed, even if he'd wanted to. She was too sweet sometimes, almost childlike, but there was no denying she was a beautiful woman. He'd caught hold of Genevieve on their way out of Silverpines and asked her very quietly how old Danny would be, because it was a matter that had played on his mind for a while. It just so happened that she'd be turning nineteen in the next month.

The age gap concerned him ever so slightly. He was twenty five, and six years was a long time. She'd be more suited with someone her own age, but she didn't go out and get to know people.

And he wouldn't want to see her with other men anyway. He knew he was an extremely jealous person, and he'd probably clock someone if he saw them holding Danny the way he was holding her now.

She mumbled something then in her sleep, and he watched her as she mouthed something, before nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck, snoring quietly.

With a sigh he twisted around, and scooped her up to carry her bridal style. Carefully lowering them both down to the platform before stooping through the hatch to go inside, and then he carried her over to the bed, manoeuvring through the room and past the chairs and other objects littering the floor. Laying her down, she moaned softly and looked up at him through one eye, barely awake, and he shushed her to sleep again.

Danny rolled over and fell back to sleep almost instantly, and Ben took the opportunity to pull off his coat and shirt, kick off his boots and strip down to his boxers before climbing in the bed behind her, pulling her close to share warmth before closing his own eyes and falling to sleep beside her.


	41. The Bathtub

WARNING!

Chapter contains themes of... well. Adult themes. Suggestions, mostly, but I thought I'd tell you. This is rated T for a reason.

Anyways, hope you all enjoy, and please review :)

* * *

She awoke the next morning feeling dizzy, her head fuzzy and pounding and whatever it was she felt a little bit sick. Rolling over amid the soft blankets she turned and saw Ben, half naked, snoring gently in his sleep. Her head cleared somewhat considerably, and she took a moment to let her eyes graze over his body, taking in the scars, cuts and bruises, the sharp detailed line where his muscles were defined from under his skin and she felt herself flush slightly at the sight.

One thing she'd learned about humans, from time spent with them and watching them, was that they tended to try to stay covered up in the presence of the opposite sex. At Mourningwood fort, all the soldiers had taken turns changing in a small room, and had prompted her to do so as well because in Swifts' words; "It was not proper for a young woman to show herself in front of men, nor was it proper for men to show themselves before a young woman." However, watching people in the market who had drunk a lot of wine, she'd come to realise that people had no objections to showing themselves to people they were about to mate with.

So Ben being so close to uncovered made her feel a little light headed again, and she deduced that the best thing for her to do in this moment of time was to stop looking at him.

She got up quietly and looked at the state of herself. She was filthy; covered in grime and dirt and sweat. There was a large metal tub in the corner of the room with two taps over it. This was Ben's bath, and she walked over and quietly began to run a bath. Testing the temperature from each of the taps until she found a comfortable temperature of water in the tub for her to bathe in. She located a bar of soap, and pulled a cloth curtain around the bath for some privacy.

Stripping naked made her feel a bit vulnerable, but Ben was asleep and as she slipped into the warm water her worries melted away. The human way of cleaning was something she appreciated, and was far more pleasurable than the way Balverines did it.

After cleaning herself, she spent a small while relaxing in the now lukewarm water when she heard someone.

"Good morning."

With a squeak, she tried to cover herself with her hands, trying to stay decent in front of Ben. He laughed and pulled the curtain open, looking at her barely covered body and her red face before sitting at the side of the bath, looking up with a coy grin at her face.

"I can't see anything from here, you can carry on," he chuckled, his eyes twinkling mischievously at her.

"I-I don't- Ben!" she cried, feeling her heart pounding but feeling a little bit pleased at him being there. It was wrong, but she liked it. She didn't mind him looking.

"I'm not looking!" He cried, holding his hands up "I didn't even see much before," he laughed, winking at her. "Well, I did. But I don't mind."

She felt herself flush red, her skin tinged pink right down her neck, shoulders and into the dip of her cleavage. It wasn't so much whether he minded or not, as to if she did. And part of her did, but the majority of her was giddy. Instead of letting herself bubble up, she slowly allowed herself to sink into the water, so just her head above her nose was out.

"Danny," Ben started, and she peeked over the rim of the tub again to see him looking sheepish but still rather pleased with himself.

"Yes?" she asked, swinging her arm over the side of the tub and pulling herself up so she could geta better look at him. He was smiling again, but more gently, more warm and happy.

"You know last night, when you said you liked me?" she nodded, furrowing her brow at his question. "Do you like Damien the same way?"

She paused at his question. Damien? The man she'd befriended and allied with. Of course she liked him, but it was more of a friendship than anything else. It was like her relationship with Kali, he was something of a brother. Whereas with Ben, this man whom she spent most of her time, who could make her feel so much – whether it be anger or happiness – who spent so much of his energy making sure she was okay and who would walk into the midst of danger for her. This man before her who had held her like no other, and who connected with her on a stronger level than even Drogo ever had.

She loved him. She just didn't know how to put that into words. She hadn't learned their word for it. Her word for it was _grá_, but it didn't sound all too similar to human, especially not his anglican.

So she stood and got out of the bath, smirking slightly at the stunned expression on Ben's face and feeling slightly proud of the way his eyes swept over her nude body, taking in her every feature. She knelt on the ground in front of him, smiling, and took his hands in hers.

"I don't like anyone as much as I like you Ben," she whispered, and in an instant he'd swept her up into his arms, his lips smashing against hers a with a small gasp she melted into him.


	42. Sheets And Skin

Another short one, I'm afriad. I think when I was writing this I hit a brain fart or some writers block or something and every chapter kind of suffered as a result. But I just got a fantastic review off ShortOne33 and it made my morning :) Because I can't PM you, I'll say it here in my A/N.

The fact your read 41 chapters in one go is amazing and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside (corny, I know) and I'm glad you like Danny, she's the first OC I've written that I really liked and doesn't seem too Mary Sue-ish, which is something I hate about my other OC's :/ Thankyou for the review, you don't understand how much it means to me to have people liking my writing :)

So because I'm in such a super fantastic mood, I'll be posting another chapter later on today - firstly to make up for the shortness of the chapters, and secondly because I feel good :D

**WARNING! THIS CHAPTER IS A BIT NAUGHTY!**

* * *

He smirked into the kiss, pleased at the soft gasp he elicited from her. He held her in his arms and expertly stood so he was carrying her, careful she didn't slip out of his arms as she was still soaked from the bath she'd just had. He carried her bridal style over to his bed and lay her down carefully onto the soft mattresses before lowering himself down over her. His fingers tangled into her hair and he pulled her into another passionate kiss, savouring her clean sweet scent and her intoxicating taste.

Her eyes widened ever so slightly when he pulled away, and a small pout formed on her lips which he couldn't help but chuckle about. A blush tinged her cheeks and she smiled shyly before relaxing back and letting him capture her lips again, this time more forcefully and demanding. He trailed his fingers down her side, tracing over the curve of her chest which made her gasp slightly, and he slipped his tongue into her mouth quickly, making her moan excitedly. He pulled away again sighing.

"Ben" she said softly, and he looked deep into her emerald eyes. Nothing needed to be said. She was ready for this.

"Are you sure?" he asked quietly, and she nodded her assurance to him.

Some fervent vigour took over them both in that instant, as she helped him strip off and he reached into his bedside table, retrieving a small packet so he didn't make the same mistake he had done a dozen or more times. He wasn't sure if she's ever done this before, so promised to himself he'd take this slowly for her.

Once he was ready he looked over her slight body, drinking in the image before leaning over her to capture her lips again, leaving a trail of kisses down her body, over each and every scar and not caring how deep, long or thick they were. She was perfect in his eyes.

He looked up again, and she smiled slightly at him again, making him dart back up to claim those lips as they wrapped their arms around one another.

She was completely his, and he was hers.

* * *

She was sleeping soundlessly in his arms, her head lying in the crook of his shoulder and her arm draped across his bare chest. He had one arm wrapped around her waist, holding her close, almost possessively, and held her hand gently with his other hand.

She was so peaceful now, and he smiled in spite of himself.

All the years he'd chased women, wearing his heart on his sleeve and diving head first into stupid situations then wondering why he got hurt at the end of it all… now he had the perfect girl wrapped close to him in a tangle of sheets and limbs, and with a sudden sinking feeling a thought occurred to him that he would never be good enough for Danny, that she would be better without someone who bottled it when things got too serious or someone who hadn't grown up using women as a pleasure outlet. He slipped out from under her, making sure she settled back down before covering her with a blanket and getting dressed quietly to leave.


	43. Leaving

Nope, another shorty. I'm really sorry about this, but I hope you can bare with me while I sort something out. The next one is like, three pages long (?) but I don't know how that transpires to FF length -.-'

Oh, and I forgot to tell you all, my Xbox 360 died. I can't play Fable II or III anymore, can't even play Journey's either. I've reverted to digging out my original Xbox, "Ol' Dusty" and I'm on The Lost Chapters. I need my Fable fix.

I've managed to start another Fable fic too, which I'll put up when I've finished with this one, and it's grim. But I have 6 chapters and one character death already :D

Enjoy all you can!

* * *

"So the Balverines are undecided?" Damien asked, clasping his hands together and resting his chin upon them. He looked tired in Ben's eyes, weary beyond belief. It didn't surprise the blond however, because he could just imagine how much pressure had suddenly been dumped upon the young King.

"They said to go back in a month..." Ben explained, clasping his hands together behind his back as he watched the King. "They said they needed time to discuss it before they made any decisions."

Damien stood up abruptly, knocking his chair back in anger and kicking the table in front of him out of the way. There was nothing separating him from Ben now, and he froze stiff in as Damien turned and hit the wall with his fist, cracking the plaster before turning back to him, rage flickering in his eyes like fire.

"We don't have a month!" he cried, taking one step towards Ben which made him recoil slightly, knowing Damien could hit him and all he could do was try to block the attacks. Damien saw this flinch and looked even angrier, his hand flying to the hilt of his sword but Ben shouted before he could unsheathe it.

"They're thinking that we'll try to kill them as they've found we always try to! Danny has close connections within the pack and they're rather influential. Send us back in a month to find out their decision. If not then there's nothing we can do about it."

The King paused only slightly, before swearing under his breath and turning back to his chair.

"A month? A _fucking_ month?" he seethed.

"In the meantime sir, I'd like to take the new recruits out to do some training, probably up near Brightwall. There's many mercenaries to take a pop at up there and they'll get the experience in fighting they need."

"You do that then Finn," Damien hissed, looking extremely pissed off. "Just go and do it."

* * *

She awoke on her own under the blanket, and yawned slightly as she stretched her arms, turning and expecting to see Ben sat by the table, but he was nowhere in sight. She dressed quickly and let herself out, descending down the ladder quickly and jogging to the Market. If he'd gone anywhere, she suspected it would be there.

People didn't seem to take any notice of her, and considering the chaos that had occurred only a few weeks earlier everybody seemed to be getting back into their normal routine. It was standing atop the bridge going over the river that she let her mind wander properly for the first time and she thought back to the revolution on Bowerstone. She remembered the flashes and bangs as people used their weapons, she remembered the sounds akin to thunder as cannons were fired.

It made her blood run cold thinking about it all. Remembering running through crowds of terrified people and seeing many slaughtered before her. Then she remembered the small girl she'd had to take away from her dying mother, and realised she hadn't seen her since the incident.

"Danny?"

She whipped around, her hair flying out in ribbons, her eyes wide and she looked up at Walter, bear like as ever, standing above her. He looked slightly concerned, but kept his distance, allowing her to adjust herself and calm down.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just looking for Ben," she explained, turning away from him to look back out to the river, people down at the docks carrying crates to and from ships, people living under the bridge as their homes hadn't been rebuilt, children wandering alone through the masses, still looking to see if any of their parents had survived, and parents who'd come to accept the fact that they'd lost their children, sobbing in one another's arms.

"It's really sad..." Danny muttered, and Walter looked down with her and laid a large hand on her shoulder.

"I know Damien has something planned to rebuild the Old Town, but Reaver is challenging it, so they're having a hearing tomorrow."

"There shouldn't have to be a hearing," snapped someone else, and the two turned to see Page struggling to carry armfuls of blankets and food for the poorer. "He should tell Reaver to stuff it where the sun doesn't shine."

Walter nodded solemnly, while Danny tried to understand what Page meant by that phrase. She didn't spend too much time thinking it over though; instead she pushed all thoughts of finding Ben from her mind and took an armful of blankets from Page, preceded down the steps to the embankment, and began handing them out to people that didn't have anything to keep them warm. Seeing so many left broken, and being able to know how terrible it felt to lose so many from your family or be separated from those you love, made her want to do something to help. The only thing she could do was try to convince Kali to join her side in the fight against the Darkness. If this much devastation could be caused by the destruction of one part of a town, then she couldn't imagine how terrible it would be to see it on a scale of the whole of Albion. She'd only been to a few towns, but the horizons of her life had been expanded tenfold. She wanted to help people as much as she could, even if that meant convincing Damien to rebuild Old Town if this Reaver tried to convince him otherwise.


	44. Tea With The Tyrant

So, yeah. I'm a bit depressed because tomorrow my boyfriend is forcing me to go watch the football match between Bolton and Blackpool. Not only are his home team (Bolton) utter shyte, but Blackpool hates Bolton and there's a possibility a fight or something will break out. Lovely.

Also, tonight I am supposed to be packing my bags because in a megre two days I'll be ferrying off to Belfast! To work. And be away from Fanfiction for a month and a half... ugh.

But here's another chapter :)

* * *

Realising that Ben wasn't in town she wandered up the long path to the castle, nodding at the guards on the door who were part of the Swift Brigade and turned left to find her way to the throne room. The problem was, she'd only been here a few times and her memory failed her, so directions didn't come naturally to her.

Along her fifth corridor she decided she'd made a wrong turn somewhere - decidedly at the beginning - and turned around, only to wonder if she'd turned right or left down here and where she should go now. Sighing slightly, she turned again and bumped into a taller rather more solid person.

"I'm sorry," she started, then looked up into the eyes of Logan, and froze in fear.

"Don't be, you look lost," he said quietly, gently, and the stark contrast between this and the first time she'd met him made her mind reel. Her initial thought was that she'd been right about him, and he was indeed just a misunderstood and very confused man.

"I-I'm looking for Ben," she explained, feeling her stomach knot.

"General Finn? I think he just left actually, Damien's sent him on a mission with a group of new troops."

A mission? Why had Ben come here in the first place this morning, and why wouldn't he tell her that he'd been asked to go on a mission? Before she could ask, she noticed Logan's sympathetic expression and he gestured for her to go into the room on her right. It was a small parlour, with the other three walls made most entirely of glass which overlooked the gardens. There was a table in the middle and he sat her down quietly before asking a maid to bring some tea for them.

"I take it you didn't know," he started, when the young woman brought their tea for them and he poured a cup for her.

"No, I didn't," she muttered, accepting the cup and eyeing him suspiciously. He was being strangely nice. There was an awkward pause as he seemed to be floundering for something to say, while she watched him, not wanting to say much at all.

"I'd like to apologise," he said suddenly. "I was a bastard all those months ago. It actually surprises me how you act nowadays... you were a frightening creature back then."

"I can be frightening now," she said, narrowing her eyes at him while sipping the foul tasting liquid slowly. She didn't understand why people liked this stuff but refusing it seemed rude.

"Nevertheless, it doesn't justify my actions. I'd like to find some way to make it up to you..."

"Oh, no you don't have to," Danny said suddenly, putting the tea down and reaching across to pat his arm. "Please, don't. What you did was bad, but it made me closer to Ben, Walter and... others."

An awkward pause again as they both thought about Swift. Each knew what the other was thinking about, but neither dared voice it. The pain was still very raw for Danny, who in the last month had not had many opportunities to take the time and grieve for the loss of the man who treated her so well.

"I also need to thank you, because you saved my life..."

"No, Damien would have-"

"Damien would have put me to death," Logan cut over her, fixing her with a sharp look. "He hates me for what I've done."

Danny was stumped, so she bit her lip and mulled over this new information. "I don't hate you," she said simply, shrugging when he fixed her with a questioning look. "And if Damien hates you then maybe the best thing to do is leave."

"Leave?"

"Yes, go somewhere he won't go much, just stay out of the way and focus on doing good for other people and starting a family."

"Would you have done that? If your pack had disowned you?"

She was stumped for a second... her pack had never indicated that they would have let her go, but since being accepted into the human world she couldn't help but think that Kali would soon not want to talk to her. Her mother, the one who had taken her in and protected her after the loss of one of her pups would die soon, and would the loss of such a strong connection within the pack make them want her gone forever?

"I- I always knew I was different than my pack. I wasn't a balverine, but they treated me as one. If they'd ever wanted me gone I would have had to go and find my birth family. Would have had to try and fit in."

"Do you know your birth family?" Logan asked, looking genuinely interested.

"There's a woman in Silverpines called Genevieve. I think she's my mother, I have the same eyes as her, and she's always trying to protect me when I go there."

"And a father?"

"I don't think he's there any more. I think he died a long time ago, there was a massacre of human men after I found my way into the pack. One of them must have been my father now I think of it, he must have been looking for me..."

This information hit her hard, and for a moment there was a silence over them. Imagining her pack killing her real father seemed to turn the tables, and where she'd grown thinking humans were the killers, she realised balverines were just as bad.

Logan told her then how he'd lost his father when he was very young, and when Damien was just a baby. Their mother had died roughly ten years ago and Logan went from being a brother to an overprotective parental figure. He'd not meant to turn so cold, but the stress of having so much power placed in his hands so young had made him make some very hard choices. If he could take them back now then he could.

Soon enough the tea was finishes and Danny felt a strange squeezing sensation in her stomach.

"I think I need the toilet," she muttered, and Logan laughed then. A loud, warm laugh that left her smiling just because of how nice it was to see him happy. He pointed her in the direction of a bathroom and when she was finished ridding her body of tea he took her to the throne room, where Damien would be ruling over arguments the townspeople were having.


	45. To Mistpeaks

Merry Christmas everyone! Since it is Christmas day where I am (a whole 49 minutes into it!) I decided it was only fitting for me to post up a chappy of Balverine Child as a way of giving you a gift XD hope y'all enjoy it!

* * *

If Ben Finn had ever felt bad about leaving a woman alone in her room before, he'd never let it get to him. This time however, he felt much more guilty about it and very much wished he hadn't suggested training some men so he could run back home and pull her right into his arms. But if he wanted to be able to do that for years to come, he'd have had to train some soldiers eventually. He'd get home in a few weeks and make it up to her then.

Should she ever forgive him that is. If not then she'd be able to find herself a good man to settle down with, or go back to her pack.

He pulled a hand down his face, rubbing his fore finger and thumb over his eyes over his stubbled cheeks before looking into the yard at the front of the castle at the absolutely pitiful group of 'soldiers' he had ever seen.

"You'll need some luck with these ones," a voice from behind him said, and he jumped slightly before turning to see Walter, wrinkling his nose at the boys.

"I'll need a damn sight more than luck…"

He pulled his jacket straight, made sure his gun and sword were tied securely to his back and then stepped out in front of the boys, who stumbled into hasty salutes and a mumbled 'sir'. Shaking his head, Ben almost wanted to punch the king for handing him this lot.

"You got these because they need most help, and you can do it," Walter prompted, earning a flippant snort from Ben. He stood forward, puffed out his chest, and for a second imagined how Jammy must have felt being seated with him when he was a prat. Poor bloke.

"That was pathetic," he called, and most of the faces before him dropped. "Listen lads, I'm hardly uppity about this sort of stuff. But if you turn in for duty, you should look presentable," he eyes a boy who's jacket was inside out. "You should be ready and waiting for me to get here… and you should at least sound as if you want to do this. So with a little more enthusiasm then, on the count of three: One! Two! Three!"

"Sir!"

They all chorused, and saluted to him in unison.

"That's more like it," Walter laughed, clapping Ben on the back, "Knew you could do something with them."

Ben only nodded, glancing out at the boys who were looking up at him, ready for whatever he told them to do. Maybe they weren't as bad as he'd thought.

He started by marching them out of the city, which was a pitiful job and earned him a lot of laughter from the townsfolk. A few town guards were more sympathetic, and walked beside some of the lads, telling them how to stay in stride and how best to keep their gear so it never seemed too heavy for them.

This bettered them slightly, or at least the ones that took the advice on. Others thought they were better and stayed swinging their arms madly or carrying their swords on their hips where it would just make you walk slanted.

When they reached the outskirts he was joined by a few of the Swift Brigade, welcomed them like brothers and laughed with them as old friends should, then piled all the boys into a cart so they could make their way to Mistpeaks.


	46. Logan To The Rescue

Here's another chapter. I think it's quite shoddy but it proves a turning point for some of the characters so I dunno. I think I hit writers block at this point and it was just a case of anything goes. Hope you like it, and I promise I'll post another chapter pretty soon, it's just with Christmas and New Years (and excessive alcohol intake) I've been a bit distracted from FF and my writing, so I'll be on it asap! Plus I have more chapters written up for my other Fable fic, so as soon as this fic is over I'll start posting for that one :)

Peace Chicos!

* * *

Damien had excused himself from the throne room to take Danny aside and tell her that Ben had volunteered to go and train some troops, but should be back as soon as possible. She nodded quietly, wondering why he would spend a night with her like that and not stay. Was he ashamed of sleeping with her? Did he not like her that was and had he just used her?

Thoughts ran through her mind and she sat down slowly in a nearby chair to properly take in this new information. Damien knelt beside her and frowned slightly.

"I'm sorry Danny, I should have tried to convince him to stay for you."

She shook her head slightly and smiled bitterly.

"No, he has a job to do. He should do it."

There was a pause and she looked into Damien's brown eyes to see them clouded with something.

"Did you manage to talk to the Balverines?" he asked, and Danny tensed, the clouds in his eyes were anger. She could read it.

"They're talking about it, but they should join our side. They want to live too so I wouldn't worry about it."

And in that instant the clouds dissipated. They were gone and replaced with that usual twinkle they had. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

"So how have you been?" he asked, his hand clasping hers and although she felt uncomfortable with it she allowed it thinking he was just being friendly.

"I've been good, mostly just staying inside though, I don't mix well with the people in town."

He gaped a little at her before grinning lopsidedly.

"You have your own place?"

"Wha- oh, no, I'm staying with Ben," she explained, and though she was slightly hurt at how he'd just left her alone in bed she couldn't help but smile at the thought of him, his ruffled golden hair and those striking blue eyes that she absolutely adored.

She glanced up, and their eyes connected and suddenly she felt very awkward, turned her head to look pointedly out of the window and moved her hand away from his. She could almost feel the dejected look on his face.

"Danny…" he reached up, his fingers pressing gently under her chin as he turned her head to face him, moving his hand up slowly to caress her cheek almost lovingly. A panic swelled in her chest, but she remained as calm as possible.

"Don't," she said softly, trying to ignore how his touch was gentler than Bens' but somehow more desperate. She turned her head abruptly, uncomfortable, willing for Ben to come back now and stop this. It felt wrong to be so close to Damien.

"She said no," someone said from the door, and the silky smooth voice made her blood freeze in her veins and the panic to rise further up in her throat, forming into a sickly bile, until she remembered the truce she and Logan had and she calmed instantly. Damien stood quickly, anger flashing across his face as he whirled around scowling.

He appeared suddenly cruel now, which put Danny right on edge.

"What are you doing here?" Damien snapped, puffing out his chest, trying to intimidate the fallen tyrant. The latter of who only smirked wider.

"Your Hobbe of a helper was harassing me for your whereabouts," Logan said smoothly, though his tone hardened somewhat. The sudden stern sound made Damien shrink back slightly, deflating as he did so. "I suggest, brother, that you fulfil your kingly duties rather than flirt with taken women."

Danny watched as Damien's neck flushed red, and Danny felt her cheeks turn pink too, mostly from embarrassment at being caught in the middle of these two. She respected Logan for standing firm before his brother who so obviously and openly despised him... she realised now what Logan had said about Damien wanting him dead, but did he only let the old King live because of her? She watched as the younger of the two brothers seemed to be searching for something to retaliate with, but instead muttered a hasty goodbye to Danny before shouldering his way past Logan and storming away down the hall.

The thinner man watched his brother go, and Danny watched as a small smile crept its way across his scarred lips. He turned slowly to her, and he stomach knotted in anxiety. He didn't approach her, or even enter her room. His smile faded rather quickly and he looked a little sheepish under her gaze. His head inclined slightly, and he started to shut the door to the room, leaving her alone again.

Danny felt her breath hitch in her throat, and she extended her hand to Logan, the small action making his eyes flick upwards to her. She paused, not knowing where to go from this point. Gulping nervously, she lowered her hand and, much to her surprise, opened her mouth to talk.

"Thank you," she said, her voice carrying stronger than she'd expected it to. Logan's face split into a surprised look, and he searched her face with his dark eyes for something. He smiled though, a wide toothy grin that made him look years younger and a lot happier.

"You're welcome," he replied, before shutting the door.


	47. Saving Private Jason

So here's the other chapter I promised y'all, so I hope you enjoy it :D This one is from Ben's POV and I think it's marginally better than the previous chapter. I'd also like to thank all of you for sticking with me through all my non-posting phases and such, and the short chapters and the bad writing and grammar XD It means a lot, and some of the encouraging words I've been given are absolutely amazing - a few people have compared the quality of my writing to that of published books (you know who you are, and thank you from the bottom of my heart). So I hope you'll all stick with me until the very end and I hope you'll continue to review with what you like and what you think I could improve, because I'd love to know how I can continue to improve the quality of my writing.

Much love

* * *

It turned out that these boys were as bad as he initially thought, most of them were worse.

Constant fighting, arguments, wounds inflicted _by_ each other… Damien put him on this job on purpose.

Ben had to stop himself beating one of them within an inch of his life after all the trouble he caused the rest of them.

The idiot had only gone and lost a stupid bloody bet to his friends over poker, and ended up leaving in the middle of the night - nude - to skinny dip in the lake. They all knew how dangerous it could be up here, especially at night, but he'd gone and done it anyway.

Ben had woken up in the middle of the night to someone shaking him roughly, and had sat bolt upright to look at three young men – white as sheets – who told him everything. He didn't say anything, but roused the rest of the men and told them to prepare for a hike. He didn't need to say or do anything, the angry soldiers he'd had to wake to sort this crap out would play hell with the lad who caused the problem.

He'd urged everyone on quickly and quietly, and it was only a sudden cry of terror that spurred them all on suddenly to run through the valleys of Mistpeaks at full pelt, stopping short at the banks of the lakes. The boy couldn't have been older than seventeen, which was probably why he felt the need to prove himself to his friends… and get himself in a load of trouble with some angry Hobbes.

Pulling his gun quickly, then with a smirk he shot three of the buggers through their heads with one bullet, and when the rest realised what happened they turned tail and ran for the wind.

"Out of the water private, and cover up," Ben roared, and the boy did as he was told quickly, rushing up and grabbing a spare pair of trousers his friend had brought for him.

"I-I'm sorry General," he stammered, flushing red. Ben shook his head, somewhat bemused and shrugged the ordeal off. He turned to the rest of the troops, telling them to make their way back up to the campsite in large groups, safer that way, and he turned to the boy. "Not you," he said quietly, and the boy went from an embarrassed red to a scared white, his eyes bulging out.

Once all the other soldiers had disappeared over the ridge, Ben turned to the boy and sighed.

"You're an idiot."

He watched as the boy clenched his fists, but nodded slowly.

"Yes, sir," he replied, biting the inside of his lip.

"See, that's not what you want to say, is it? You want to punch me for calling you an idiot… I'd want to if it were me."

"You saved my life…" the boy chuckled slightly, sheepishly.

"I'd bloody well expect you to do the same for me," Ben laughed.

"No pressure there, then."

They laughed for a moment, then turned and walked back to the camp on their own in silence. Ben looked up through the trees at the stars, thinking about things.

He couldn't really be mad at the kid; he was a lot less of a handful than he's been back in the day. Swift had a worse time than he'd had, taking in a scoundrel of a man who had a knack for getting into trouble.

"What's your name?" Ben asked, glancing over to the boy.

"Jason," he replied, smiling slightly, while Ben felt his lips twist into an awkward smile. The faint memory of his brother giving him a lesson in lock picking drifted through his mind, and then was replaced with the nightmarish image of his three dead brothers scorning him in the desert.

"That was an amazing shot back there! The king told us you were a sharpshooter, but to kill three of the gits with one bullet!"

Ben registered that Jason was talking to him, and nodded slightly.

He listened as the boy rambled on, talking about his home and his family, how he's done more stupid things with his friends, about all the bones he's broken and then he went quiet and stared off into space with a daft grin on his face.

"I've got a girl waiting for me back home too," he smiled, looking up at Ben "What about you?"

Ben smiled bitterly, thinking about Danny.

"I'm not entirely sure."


	48. Kali Appears

So thank you to the readers of the previous chapters :)

As always please, PLEASE review, it really makes my day and I'd love any constructive criticism as I always say. For now though have a lovely day

* * *

The rising skyline of Bowerstone rose up over the forests separating it from Millfields. The castle was most prominent, jutting above the visible rooftops in an impressive silhouette, the turrets and towers standing out against the sun. The sight seemed to cheer everyone up, but none so much as Ben.

"Not too much farther," he called, striding on ahead of the group confidently, eyes scanning the trees and bushes for any enemies. He found himself chuckling at the memory of Danny snapping the mercenaries' neck, as macabre as that was. She'd have loved to come and get some fresh air. The pungent aroma of Bowerstone was hardly something that would be settling well with her.

The group of men were rounding the corner to the climb to the city, passing the last of the fields filled with wheat and barley. Then something low and grey flew out at them, a snarl ripping from its' throat as it ran at Jason, snapping its jaws threateningly as it lunged at him. Ben reacted as quickly as he could, and shot the thing as it flew through the air, dead as it collided with Jason and knocked him clean off his feet. Smoke billowed from Bens' gun as a couple of the other lads pulled the dead animal off a trembling Jason, and Ben turned slowly, scanning for something else. There had to be more of the things, they were pack animals.

Then as predicted something else leapt from the long grasses, and gave near enough half the boys' premature heart attacks. It wasn't a wolf though, and Ben felt his heart sink slightly when a large Balverine landed only feet from him, though he raised his gun slightly as a warning.

The group watched in terror as the Balverine rose up on its haunches, towering above Ben. It didn't attack though, and there was something about it that Ben recognised. There was an almost questioning look in its eyes.

Then it clicked and Ben realised it was that Balverine from months ago, the one that had run to greet Danny on their way to Mourningwood, and the alpha from Silverpines. Its fur was the same as he could remember, grey flecked with black spots all down its back, and it must have recognised him, as it hesitantly crouched again, leaning languidly though carefully on its front paws.

"Don't shoot," Ben warned quickly, realising that some of the men were probably trying to load up their guns while the beast was focused on Ben. It shuffled closer to him, sniffing slightly at the barrel of his gun, then looking up and sniffing at his person.

"General Finn, that things' gonna kill you," Jason whispered hoarsely, trembling slightly as his his fingers edged for his pistol.

"Don't shoot," Ben repeated, looking up at the thing as it was acting strangely; looking up at Ben then looking to his men, and then finally to the city of Bowerstone. "He's looking for a friend."

"Or a snack," Jason hissed.

Ben tutted and all of a sudden the Balverine whined, long and low. It shifted on its feet, looking at Ben before whining again.

"I can't take you to her," he said quietly, his ears going red with the feeling of being an idiot coming to him. He knew the boys were watching him. He lifted his hand up shakily to the city walls, "She's in the town."

Its yellow eyes flitted to the castle atop the city, then in a second it had started trotting up the hill, and Ben found himself shouting to it.

"Oi! You'll die up there, stop!"

It paused and looked at him, the shadow of annoyance crossing over its features. It struck Ben that this Balverine actually seemed to fully understand him, and an almost sickening thought crossing his mind that this particularly Balverine had probably been a bitten man.

"I'll bring her here."

It shook its mane, grumbling about something.

"You can't go to her," he said, feeling the surprised eyes of his troops on him. Gulping, he put on a sterner face, and as if chastising a child he said again, "You can't go up there. I will bring her here."

It stared at him, scowling before leaping up with tremendous force into the trees. A moment of awkward silence passed through them all, and he cleared his throat shakily before turning back to the rest of them.

"Keep moving," he told them stiffly, walking away before anyone could say anything.

Once inside Bowerstone he said everyone could go back to their homes, and he'd send word out to everyone when to regroup up at the castle. Jason rushed off quickly to Bowerstone bridge and scooped up a slight auburn haired girl up in his arms.

He strode past the snogging pair, taking a sharp right past the general store and jogging down the road to Industrial and his flat.


	49. Making Up

So this one is a little longer, and I know I'm posting more frequently now but I have been away for a while and I think I'm trying to make up for it :p anyways, I love how Fable has had more attention since 'Journeys' came out (though I don't think it's all positive) but more people are on here on FF and that's good :D anyways, as always, please leave me some feedback, it's very much appreciated. Also, on the other Fable fic I'm working on now I have nine chapters!

This fic is now more than half way through, which is kind of gutting :( anyways, enjoy!

This is utterly fluffy by the way.

* * *

He'd climbed the ladder in record time and heaved himself inside, standing suddenly and almost expecting Danny to be there to fling herself into his arms.

But she wasn't there, and a huge disappointment flooded over him as he looked around the small room. Something caught his eyes and he walked over to the sink where there was a half eaten bowl of stodgy porridge sitting on the side. A small smile tugged at his lips, but though it comforted him that she hadn't deserted the flat, the niggling thought that she could have just been there for the shelter and peace and quiet, not for the fact that he would be coming home.

Knowing she'd either be here or somewhere on the journey to the castle, he want back outside and pelted down the street, ignoring those he bumped into and the strange looks he got as he went.

He needed to find her, and he needed to talk to her.

* * *

Danny was on the Bowerstone Bridge, waiting patiently. She'd seen a few extra soldiers around, young men who were completely filthy, so she could only assume that were back from training with Ben. She sincerely hoped so, otherwise she didn't know what she was waiting for.

A young man with short brown hair walked by with a beautiful young girl on his arm with curly auburn hair.

"Excuse me!" she called, and he turned to her looking mildly surprised. "Do you know Ben Finn?"

"The General?" he asked, but nodded anyway "yeah, he ran off to find his missus... unless you're her," he chuckled.

"I... yes," she smiled, her cheeks turning pink.

"He's coming this way now," the boy told her, nodding behind her where she turned and saw Ben running down the street, "he must really want to see you miss," he added, smiling.

The boy nodded politely and walked away, just as Danny stood and started jogging to the edge of the bridge to meet Ben.

He saw her at the last available second, and while he tried to slow to a stop his arm caught her around the waist and they both tumbled to the ground in a tangled mess. He ended up on top of her somehow, and though they both looked positively shocked his face burst into a grin.

"Danny!" he cried, leaping up suddenly and pulling her up with him.

She was overcome with a mix of so many emotions. Excitement at seeing him again, happiness because he was here, love for him, hate for him, anger at him leaving her in the first place without a decent explanation.

That emotion was most prominent, and her hand flashed out and she slapped him sharply across the face.

"You left!" she cried, feeling anger boil over and the other emotions recede to nothing.

"I- Danny that's what I was going to talk to you about," Ben cried, touching his face gingerly where angry red lines had formed. "And that fucking hurt!"

"You left me Ben... I- no," she turned on her heel and stormed away, going towards Industrial.

He followed her all the way to the flat, something he was both glad and apprehensive to do. How upset was she?

He got through the hatch after her and he pulled it shut, and all of a sudden her defensive stance left her, and she slumped her shoulders, looking sad and dejected.

"Why?" she whispered, and the anger he felt at her slapping him went out the window while he took her in her arms, pulling her close and stroking her hair.

"I... Well that's what I want to talk to you about."

He led her to a chair, sat down in it and pulled her into his lap. She curled up against him, her head buried in the crook of his neck and she waited patiently for him to start.

He explained that she was only nearly nineteen and he was twenty five, so she was a young woman and he was a fair bit older than her (though by no means an old man, it still felt a bit wrong to him). He told her everything. Absolutely everything. He said how he'd slept with many women, fallen in love so many times and had his heart broken and then turned to just using women for sex as a sort of defence. If he had all the pleasure and non of the commitment issues then he'd keep himself from getting hurt. He knew it was wrong and he could have ruined so many lives by doing that, but what was done was done. His main concern was her finding someone that would treat her right, that wouldn't have such a dark past with so many secrets, someone who could give her the world and everything she could possibly want. He wanted her to be happy so that afternoon after they'd made love,when he saw her looking so innocent and peaceful, he'd felt guilty for taking some of that innocence from her, for tainting her and making her just another one of the women he'd slept with.

Because he could never be good enough for her. He could never be the best person.

She'd stayed quiet though all of his speech, but had sat up and was looking at him face to face, blinking slightly as the dusk light streamed in through the window and set her brown hair ablaze with so many colours. Golden highlights, bright reds and auburns streaked through that mahogany brown and her green eyes glittered brightly. She was perfection, and he didn't deserve anything like that.

"I don't care about your past," she whispered, reaching her thin fingers out and brushing his bangs out of his face. "I don't care who you were. I care about who you are now."

"But I-"

"Do you care about my past?" she cut over him, looking sternly at him. "Do you honestly care that I grew up with Balverines? That they made my family and that I was wild?"

"No-"

"Then why would I care about yours?"

He was quiet for a moment, and she leaned forward to place a chaste kiss upon his cheek.

"We have all done bad things Ben, but you've made yourself so good. And I love you now."

"But you could do better," he burst, feeling hurt stab at him because she simply wasn't understanding what he was saying.

"Who?" she asked, sounding annoyed.

"Well... Damien, he likes you!" Ben cried, to which Danny laughed out loud.

"I don't like him like that Ben! He's like a brother. A terrifying brother," she ended on a whisper, looking a little shame faced. "Ben, you say I could do better, but living with Balverines won't give me what I want! I couldn't have babies with them, I couldn't give them cubs. I want a family and something I could have happily... but I can't have that with Balverines."

"But... you could love Damien," he started as a whisper, but an exasperated huff escaped her lips and he looked up at her again, falling silent.

"Damien terrifies me, Ben. He didn't before, but now he's King he just seems so angry and horrible and I don't trust him. I trust Logan more than I trust Damien, and he's tried to kill me before!" she finished on a half hearted laugh, her eyes softening as she looked down at him.

He looked at her, taking in her fierce expression and the way she was fighting for this. For them.

"Ben, I want _you,_" she emphasized, cupping his face with her hands and resting her forehead against his. "I want you, and I want to eventually have your children, and teach them everything we both know. How to climb trees and shoot and speak in my tongue and yours. I want a life with you, and you're telling me I could do better, but no other person has tried even half as hard as you to help me, and teach me, and love me. You've been everything I've had for so long, since you found me at Silverpines, and you're all I want now."

Something swelled in Ben's chest and he let out a short happy laugh as he pulled her in for a sweet tender kiss. This woman, who's had half her life destroyed by him and her world shaken so much by him actually honestly loved him. She was being given the opportunity to go and find something else for her life, but she was choosing him.

And as much as he didn't deserve her, as much as he would never be good enough for her, and would never be the best person for her, she loved him and he felt like the luckiest bugger in the world.


	50. Finding The Balverines

So I'm depressed today. Not going into it, here's a chapter, enjoy.

* * *

She listened as Ben told her calmly about Kali being outside the Bowerstone city walls, staying in the trees near Millfields. Her breath caught in her throat and she was left wondering how he got so far out of Silverpines alone without being spotted or hurt. They raced then across the city, spotting Walter near the bridge so shouting him and asking him to come along too.

He was confused at first, but Millfields was famous for mercenaries so the stronger in numbers they were the more of a chance they had. After telling him that the alpha Balverine had come to talk to Danny, he agreed to come along.

They walked quickly down the slope to the Millfields area, carefully picking their way down the path where all the stones were loose because of the frequent flow of carts and carriages, and eventually they found themselves under the cover of the trees, waiting quietly with their stomachs in knots.

Danny was looking around quietly, but there was no sign of Kali anywhere. Then something shifted in the trees and she swore slightly under her breath as a group of mercenaries walked out, smirking cruelly and pulling their guns out.

Ben and Walter mirrored them, but they were hopelessly outnumbered. Tensing for the onslaught, Danny crouched low, but then there was a swooshing sound and a large grey Balverine landed in front of them, followed quickly by another younger ones. It was Kali and Ika, and upon sight of them the mercenaries paled and ran away as fast as humanly possible.

"_It took you long enough,_" Kali snarled, and Danny immediately went into defence, narrowing her eyes and stepping back from him.

"_We were as quick as we could be,_" she retorted, and watched calmly as he shifted around and peered at Walter.

"_I don't remember him,_" he mumbled, then chuckled and asked; "_A snack?_"

"_Kali, don't be like this,_" she whispered, worrying about his behaviour and worrying about the outcome of this meeting. "_He's my friends Kali..._"

"_Oh I know, I know,_" he chuckled sitting down languidly while Ika watched on. "_I wouldn't do anything Daenerys, you know me better than that._"

She nodded and sat down beside him while Ben, Walter and Ika watched on awkwardly. Ben eventually sat on the ground a small way off, while Walter saw a nice tree stump and sat on that, moaning about his age. Ika yawned and walked over to Ben, curling up beside him and drifting off. Bot Kali and Danny watched as he did this, bemused at how awkward Ben looked until he shrugged and leaned back, relaxing and waiting for them to talk.

"_The pack is decided,_" Kali started, huffing slightly as he sat up. "_We will fight alongside the humans as long as I can come and see your alpha._"

"_You... you want to see their alpha?_"

"_And yours Daenerys, you're part of their pack now_."

"_How do you expect to get through the city safely Kali?! There are guards everywhere, you'll end up getting shot._"

"_Shot?_" he questioned, and she remembered the term was unfamiliar with Balverines.

"_They'll turn thunder on you Kali, and Ika too. He's far too young to be away from the pack._"

"_Am not,_" came Ika's muffled response, making Ben jump in surprise and Walter burst out laughing at him. For a moment Danny laughed too until she remembered where she was and what she was here to do.

"_If you want us to join your cause I will need to lay some ground rules with your alpha. I want his promise, not yours._"

Danny bit her lip and looked up at the two other men, who were staring back with interest sparking in their eyes. she looked around at Ika, who though he kept his eyes closed his ears were still pricked up and listening to every word.

"He has... certain um," she paused, now knowing how to phrase it. It was never a word she'd used herself in Anglican and she'd never heard anyone else describe something like this.

"Conditions? Terms of agreement? Ground rules?" Ben chipped in, as if reading her mind. She nodded anyway. Her problem was that though her vocabulary had expanded tenfold while she was here, she still didn't recognise words that weren't used in her everyday surroundings.

"So he wants to talk to Damien?" Walter asked, aghast while Danny nodded. "It's not possible-"

"We'll have to make it possible then," Ben said sharply, not appreciating the fact that Walter was so against this. It was their only hope. "We need more allies Wally, and Balverines would be good. They're fast, strong..."

"And the Darkness won't touch them..." Danny whispered, making Walter and Ben both look at them.

"What? What do you mean?" Walter asked, while Ben stood looking confused.

"The Darkness... when I was in the desert the Darkness spoke to me. It said some horrible things but it didn't hurt me. It said it could sense I had shadow in me. The legend of Balverines is that one cursed monster, the Balvorn, bit a human. He became the first Balverine and it continued like that. That curse is within every Balverine's blood and bones, and since I grew up with them, since I had the soul of a Balverine... it didn't touch me."

"You went blind Danny," Ben whispered, reaching out and rubbing his thumb against her cheek. She leaned gently into it and looked sad for a moment.

"I think it just brought out the Darkness already in me."

Ben watched her as she stood there looking ashamed, for something she hadn't done. It upset him but before he could take her in her arms the younger Balverine had come forward and was nuzzling his side, trying to comfort her. It worked too apparently, because a small smile graced her lips and she looked up at him and Walter.

"His name is Ika, and he's like a younger brother to me. I saved his life in the clearing before you had the chance to shoot him."

"Well... I'm sorry about that," Ben muttered, casting his eyes down. Then Danny laughed and it sounded sweet and she hugged him.

"Don't worry about that, we just have to figure out a way to get two Balverines inside Bowerstone."


	51. One Does Not Simply Walk Into Bowerstone

I am feeling MUCH better today. The reason for my depression the other day was that I'd actually broken up with my boyfriend, but since then we've worked it out and we're back together and we're having another go at it. Things can be worked out through communication people, it's awesome.

So, I have here a chapter that is more or less DOUBLE what my others have been recently, so I hope that makes you all a wee happier :)

Btw, who else has watched Rise of the Guardians, and reckons I should have a crack at a fanfic for it? I've got something of an idea brewing, but I've got a lot on my plate this year! I'm training to be a teaching assistant, I'm job hunting in the meantime, I have to save for a holiday I've been booked on to Cyprus, and I need to sort out my sleeping habits. It's terrible.

Anyways, I ramble. Enjoy my readers, please leave a review

* * *

The only way to get them into the city was to simply walk in. Danny sat atop Kali's back, her fingers curling onto his matted fur to keep a good hold, while Ben walked in with Ika right at his side. Walter went ahead of them all, telling the guards to clear the streets and warning them not to shoot at anything they saw.

Of course, Danny didn't expect a group of terrified guards not to get a little bit scared when two great Balverines loped through the city, nor did she expect the townsfolk to be okay with it, but Damien couldn't be brought out to Millfields so quickly, and as nightfall was coming it was getting more dangerous for them to stay outside the city walls. Those mercenaries they saw earlier would most likely be gathering more men to take on the Balverines.

Slowly they approached the gates and two terrified men were stood sentry. Danny could see the sweat gatherng on their brows as they stood stock still and waited for the Balverines to pass.

"_Do they expect us to rip them to shreds_?" Ika asked, looking a bit hurt.

"_Course they do,_" Kali laughed. "_But to be fair that's what our kind have done for years. They're justified in that thought._"

Danny smiled slightly, nodding to the man closest to her as they passed under the large stone archway.

"_You're being very nice about all of this Kali,_" she pointed out, pulling his fur gently then smoothing it down. It was something mothers always did to their pups to make them calm down, and Kali's tense stance instantly relaxed.

"_I don't want to get killed here today,_" he said quietly, looking around at the scared faces of the townsfolk peering through the windows of the pub and other shops, astounded at such a spectacle.

There was suddenly a loud cry, and all heads swivelled to watch a woman try to catch her child's arm as the babe ran out towards Danny, Ben, Walter and the Balverines. He couldn't have been older than two, and whereas Ben and Walter tensed up, Danny and her friends smiled.

"_He reminds me of you Daenerys,_" Kali laughed, lying down and allowing Danny to climb off his back while they both watched the little boy make his way over to Ika.

"_Be gentle with him,_" Danny warned the younger one, and he agreed quietly before lying down and letting the boy come closer to him. Everyone watched as the child walked over to Ika's head and looked him right in his glowing yellow eyes. Not a frightening yellow, but a calm, warm yellow, like the sunset.

Slowly he reached forward and patted Ika right on his snout, making him sneeze. Everyone jumped at this, but after they initial shock the little boy laughed and wrapped his arms around ika's neck, hugging him. Ben turned to Danny for some advice, while she just shrugged and let the child explore the Balverine, petting his fur and pulling on his tail. Ika grinned at her happily.

Slowly the child's mother walked over, tentatively and scared. Her eyes were wide and terrified as she tried to coax her child back to her. Ika looked up, slightly disappointed, then turned to Danny.

"_Tell her I won't hurt him,_" he asked quietly, and the woman stopped in her tracks upon hearing the Balverine's whines.

"He... he won't hurt your child," she said quietly, walking over and standing beside the woman, taking her hand and guiding her forward.

"He- but it's a Balverine!" she squeaked, resisting Danny slightly, but the love of her child was too much for her to just turn tail and run away.

"He's not dangerous though," Danny explained, crouching down beside Ika and placing her hand on his head. "If he was dangerous he would have shown it by now."

At this the woman seemed to agree, and knelt down beside her son and stared at the large beast before her. Danny could tell she was still scared stiff, but her son was having a great time playing with Ika.

"Momma!" he cried suddenly, racing to her and grabbing her hand. "It's doggy!"

He brought her hand near Ika's face, ignoring her whimpers and Ika crawled forward slightly on his haunches and nuzzled her hand gently.

There was complete silence in the town then, as they all crouched beside the clock tower and this young woman and her son stayed near the Balverines.

"This is completely mad," the woman whispered, but she was smiling slightly. "I've always been told they're terrible cursed creatures."

"I grew up thinking humans were the killers," Danny said softly, looking up into her face. "I grew up part of a Balverine pack, and all I saw was people killing my friends and family."

It was kind of uplifting seeing this woman and her child crossing the bridge and bonding with their possible soon to be allies, and even better when people started milling out onto the streets and watching from a distance. But night time was coming around and they really had to get up to see the King and get the alliance sorted out.

"Danny, we need to be on our way," Ben said quietly, touching her shoulder gently. He turned to the woman and said gently, "we need to go and see the King, miss."

She nodded politely and stood, while Ben knelt down beside the little boy and got his attention.

"We need to take this... doggy... to the castle," he started, "but you can play with them again at some point, okay?"

"Okay," the boy conceded, going back to his mother and watching them go up to the castle.

The walk there was quiet, with Danny walking next to him in silence, watching the larger Balverine walk quietly while the smaller one loped ahead.

"Danny," he whispered, and she looked at him with those big green eyes. "Do you think this will go well?"

"He wouldn't come all this way to say no," she smiled, reaching out and twining her fingers around his, squeezing his hand reassuringly.

They entered the castle that way, holding hands while her other hand was tangled in the alpha's fur. The younger one had slowed down upon reaching the gates for the castle and had looped around so he was trotting beside Walter being very quiet.

It was when they entered the Throne Room that things started going belly up. Paige was there with Reaver, both debating the outcome of the now destroyed Old Town. Damien was the first to see the Balverines and stood up quickly with his hand flying to the hilt of his sword. Raver turned and in an instant had his pistol out aimed at the alpha, which cause him to snarl viciously.

Then the most frightening thing, Danny flinging herself in front of the Balverine, sheltering him.

"NO!" she screamed, her emerald eyes boring into Reavers own acid green ones. Ben watched carefully, his stomach churning as he stepped forward carefully and placed a hand on Danny's shoulder. Every eye was on Reaver, and he slowly put his weapon away and smirked cruelly.

"Aha! So I suppose this is the wondrous young Balverine Child I've heard so much about!" he cried, sauntering forward towards them all. Ben had to physically push the larger Balverine back so he wouldn't attack while the younger one stayed behind Walter, whimpering and looking about with scared eyes. "Your story has become almost legend my dear," he said, extending his hand and cupping Danny's cheek, tilting her face upwards.

Ben was seething, gritting his teeth and thinking honestly about letting the Balverine kill the bastard. He could tell at a glance that Danny hated Reaver, her eyes were narrowed into slits and she was grumbling at him in Balverine.

"Ah, ah, ah! Don't speak in that foul language to me miss" he chuckled, before leaning in and whispering something to her. Her face dropped and she reeled away from him, whimpering and trying to leave the room. She was obviously distressed and by turning to face Reaver he could tell that the pompous arse didn't look pleased either.

"What did you say to her?" Ben hissed, stepping up and staring Reaver in the eye. Though Ben was a good six inches shorter than Reaver, he didn't back down and Reaver was the one to take a small step backwards with a smirk plastered across his face.

"She's not the only one who knows how to speak to these beasts," he chuckled, his eyes shining.

Danny was gripping the larger beasts fur while he was chattering away to her, some strange language that he hadn't noticed before, he'd just counted it in with them growling and snarling. How had he never noticed it before?

"Enough of this!" came a shout, and all heads swivelled to look at Damien, who was stood up now looking high and mighty. "I don't want to mess about with this. Why are they here?"

Kali listened to Damien and looked at her.

"_We will help, but we have some conditions._" Danny nodded and turned to Damien, who scoffed and laughed.

"They want favours from us? They're monsters."

"But you need their help, and they only want one thing!" Danny cried after listening to Kali snarl his terms, though he obviously didn't like Damien.

"What is it then?"

"They don't want to be hunted any more. And in return they will not harm any more people. The pack at Silverpines is large and very powerful. They can get other packs from all over Albion to join us in a truce."

"They're fierce creatures," Damien said, gentler this time as he leaned forward in his throne. "How can we trust them?"

"He wouldn't have come all this way if he didn't want to help you," Danny stressed "They both risked their lives to get here, please, accept their help."

After a long pause, Damien sighed and leaned back in the throne.

"I don't trust them."

Danny stood there gaping, feeling her stomach plummet and she looked at Ben for help, though he seemed equally stumped. Then something caught her eye and she looked sharply to her left. Logan was there, looking far younger than he had ever done since she'd seen him.

He was wearing a white open collar cloth shirt with a delicate silver stitching across his shoulders, black pants and boots with a silver belt buckle and silver toe caps. His sword was in it's sheath, his hair looked better, shorter and not greased back. He looked like he'd had more sleep, more food and a lot less stress. He looked younger, and significantly more powerful. Danny could see now how he would have made a good King at the start.

"You'd be stupid not to accept their help," he said quietly, calmly, but his voice seemed to carry across the whole room. "Reaver, leave that young girl alone. General, step back and calm down."

Every eye watched as Reaver walked idly away from Danny, and she breathed a small sigh of relief herself. Logan walked towards Damien, whispering something in his ear which made the younger of the brothers scowl, but he seemed to concede, and nodded.

"We would like to accept their terms, and accept their help. The Balverines will be our allies, and we will stop fighting them if they stop fighting us."

Kali bowed his head and turned on his tail, walking swifty away, and it took a shove for Ika to get moving, he seemed to have phased into his own world and wasn't paying attention.

Danny moved him on quickly, following Kali out with Ben close on her heels. Kali stopped suddenly.

"_Why isn't that other man their alpha Daenerys?_" he asked, looking up at the purple drapes, his lip curling.

"_He was, Kali, but he made some terrible mistakes and they removed him from the alpha position._"

"_They didn't kill him,_" Kali snorted "_If you take the place of an alpha you have to kill him or wait for him to die._"

"_It isn't like that in the human world,_" Danny explained gently, "_they do it differently here._"

Kali just hummed, and they continued on their way. The streets were still completely empty, and they got to the gates before Danny bid them both farewell, hugging them both tight around their necks and allowing them to nuzzle her neck. Kali softened then, his eyes gentle and kind.

"_Take care of yourself Daenerys,_" he said, then looked at Ben "_I like him, he is your mate, isn't he?_"

Danny flushed red, but nodded slightly with a small smile on her face. She turned to look at Ben who fixed her with his piercing blue eyes and smiled back at her, taking hold of her hand gently.

"_I think so, yes._"


	52. Damsels

Longer chapter! Hope you like :)

I've developed an obsession with Rise of the Guardians, new DreamWorks film. Watch it if you haven't. I may be nineteen years old but I still firmly believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Toothfairy and all of them. Odd, I know, but then I'm entitled to be :) It brings out the child in you, helps you see the wonder all around and sparks that innocence in you again. Love it, embrace it, hold onto it. That kind of magic is hard to find these days.

* * *

He more or less carried her back to his flat that night, slinging her over his shoulder as he climbed the ladder to the roof and carrying her across the room to drop her gently on the mattresses. She laughed all the while, lying back as Ben lowered himself over her and captured her lips.

When they eventually broke for air, he rolled over on his side and pulled her close to him.

"Today went well thanks to you," he noted, stroking her hair back out of her strikingly beautiful eyes. "I'm glad I found you in Silverpines."

"You are?" she whispered, her fingers curling tighter in his shirt.

"Of course I am," he cried, sitting up slightly and looking down at her, cupping her cheek and rubbing his thumb over her smooth skin. "You were so different then... you were more like an animal."

"I don't know what I am now," she mumbled, and he was startled to see tears springing to her eyes.

"I... well what in Skorm's name do you mean by that?"

"I speak to both humans and Balverines," she explained, sitting up and wiping at her eyes furiously while all Ben could do was watch her spill her heart to him. "I was raised by both, I love both but I also hate both. I've seen how Balverines can kill people and each other, and I've seen people do the same. People are still scared of me for how I grew up but now my own pack doesn't like being around me because I'm not the same."

Danny flung herself at him, burying her face in his neck while Ben could only stroke her hair back from her face and shush her gently. If he'd had anything planned for their night then this certainly wasn't it, and he certainly regretted bringing the topic of Balverines up... but he worried about her, much like he had done all along. She was the missing link between man and beast and the only way the two species could communicate peacefully. But she was slowly being pushed from one as she was accepted by the other, and if she tried to revert back to her animalistic ways then she would be shoved from the other. She was losing either way, and it wasn't fair on her.

"The darkness told me this would happen," she mumbled, making his heart stop for a second before suddenly racing on and threatening to leap from his chest.

"Told you what?" he asked as calmly as he could, though even he could hear his voice break a little.

"That everyone would hate me, and I was... I was just a monster."

Anger swelled in him, but he repressed it. Of course something completely and utterly negative had been said to her to make her think she was worse than she was. To be fair though, he admitted with a small inner sigh, he had initially thought she was fierce and deadly and nothing more than a girl who had been twisted by monsters. The Darkness, that Crawler that was slowly coming their way, had only confirmed her fears that that was what everyone thought of her.

"You're not a monster..." he said quietly, planting a kiss on her forehead, which made her smile slightly and look up at him.

"You don't think so?"

"'Course not!" he cried, grinning broadly now.

"Good," she whispered, before curling into his side and falling rapidly to sleep.

For a small while he watched her face relax into slumber, and he shifted her ever so slightly in the bed to lie her down properly making sure not to disturb her. Stripping himself of his jacking and boots, he crawled in next to her, pulling the threadbare blanket over them both.

* * *

Ben had had to go up to the castle that morning to continue training with the troops. He was taking them to Bower Lake to take care of a Hobbe infestation, or so he'd said. She begged him to let her follow them and help but he'd laughed and said the presence of a beautiful girl might get some of the guys distracted.

And a distracted soldier would most likely get his leg hacked off by a Hobbe.

She'd settled for shadowing Damien around the castle. Danny noticed at first that he seemed a little off with her, but when his advisor and planner Hobson turned up his mood soured even further. Hobson was a stoutly little man with only a few whisps of hair over his fat little head. He was as ugly as they came, stank of stale urine and beer, and continually made references to money and prostitutes.

Danny hated him instantly, and he himself didn't seem too keen on her being in the treasury. Even though she was only sat on a small couch in the corner.

"Sire, are you sure having that girl here is a wise idea? She might try to rob-"

"She'll do no such thing you prat, she's a friend of mine."

"Well if his Highness is sure..." Hobson mumbled, barely audible though Danny heard him and sneered his way. His voice was nasally, cruel and she suspected he was a close relation of some Hobbes to be perfectly honest.

"The first thing on today's agenda is seeing to the rapidly depleting funds of the treasury."

Indeed, though the room itself was large, grand and heavily guarded, the walls and floor reinforced to hold masses of gold, the pile itself (though somewhat impressive to Danny) was indeed small for something that was meant to sustain the country.

"I suggest that by increasing tax further, we will be able to procure more funds for the treasury. Though the people of Albion are struggling as they are and further increases would leave more in poverty, the number one priority is to fund the army."

Danny felt sick at what he was saying. There were hundreds of people struggling for shelter beneath Bowerstone Bridge while their homes in the Old Quarter were repaired – because thankfully Damien had sided with Page on this matter and decided the best interest was to help the townsfolk – yet this horrible little man was suggesting they make life harder for even more peole.

"What would you do Danny?" Damien asked quietly, looking her way.

"I wouldn't make people pay more," she said quietly, curling her legs under her on the couch while Hobson glowered her way. "People are homeless now, it's wouldn't be right to make more people homeless too."

She watched as Hobson attempted to argue against this, but Damien had non of it. He, to their surprise, decided to lower the tax rate, and then he turned to Danny.

"We need to go out and make some money, but you're going to have to dress nicer than that," he said with a chuckle, gesturing to her clothing, which consisted of the army pants she received when she was taken in by the Swift Brigade, and one of Ben's shirts which was overly baggy on her.

She was escorted to a room where a lovely elderly woman fussed over her, plaiting her hair and forever commenting how she had such beautiful hair and an amazing figure, and she'd looked somewhat like that in her youth, but years of hard work and eight children later she was now round as a Yule cake.

Danny had no idea what a Yule cake was, but the woman was so motherly and kind that she simply relaxed as she was dressed in a long blue gown, ignoring how it was cinched in at the waist because it felt lovely anyway.

"Damien's dressing you up?" came a voice from the door, and Danny watched as the old woman froze and stared in a mix of repulsion and fear. But she recognised the voice and turned to meet the dark eyes of Logan.

"He says we need to make some money for the treasury," she explained, smoothing the dress out over her hips and looking his way.

"What is your purpose in this?" he asked, his brow furrowing.

"I... I don't know. But I have nothing else to do now Ben isn't here, so this is something at least..."

"Hm... well, just don't let him do anything you wouldn't want him to do."

"He won't do that," Danny said defensively, wondering why Logan was being so negative about his brother.

"If you're sure," he shrugged, bidding her goodbye before turning on his heel and leaving Danny stood there wondering why he was acting so differently.

* * *

It was a simple enough job, clearing out Hobbes from the richer communities cellar, but it was harder to decline the offers of large sums of gold they were offered. The lads had been doing well, working in groups to surprise attack the Hobbes and kill them off. Some proved difficult to get rid off. As Walter pointed out frequently enough, the little blighters had a hard enough time putting pants on the right way round, yet some of them managed to master Will, which was something a lot of humans couldn't tap into these days.

"Is that all of them General?" Jason asked, wiping sweat from his brow and leaning heavily upon his sword.

"Can't be sure, our best option is to scour the area."

Ben turned then, and looked into the distance to see something grey and hunched on the outskirts of Silverpines. A few of his lads had noticed too, and to their credit stood waiting for orders instead of rushing in to slaughter the beast. They were aware of the alias between the King and the Balverines, and the memory of Ben meeting with Kali on their last mission was obviously fresh in their minds.

"Men, approach slowly, follow me," he ordered, and they all walked as calmly as they physically could to the creature. It took Ben by surprise when he saw her, and he gaped for a few moments until he walked forward more briskly. She lifted her head, moaned slightly as her old bones groaned in response and sniffed the air. Looking back into the trees the yellow eyes of a group of Balverines peered out, but they didn't appear hostile. It was like they were asking for help.

"This... this is going to have to be a delicate operation boys. Bring the cart down..."

It took twenty minutes for the old girl to recognise Ben's scent, but when she did she hummed slightly, happily, and tried to move closer to him. It was like taking care of a frail elderly woman. Ben – without thinking – rushed forwards and tried to support her weight, surprised at how soft her fur was and how gently she moved around next to him. She nuzzled his cheek softly, he took it to be motherly, before he motioned for three of the others to join him to lift her up onto the cart.

At first she was weary of the new people, whimpering and feebly trying to shove them away with her long limbs, however much it hurt her. Ben shushed her, and making a nest of spare woollen blankets they had, they slowly pulled the cart back to Bowerstone to find Danny. This couldn't be a good sign, and his heart plummeted as he thought what this would do to the girl.


	53. Deception and Death

Another chapter, hoping you all like it :D

* * *

Damien had taken her out into the gardens, and as much as she longed to run about and frolic through the long lavender and roll in the daisies, the tight dress and Damien's firm hand made her stay where she was. He was holding her arm while he spoke to a fat old man in many different and most likely expensive coloured items of clothing. There were crystals and jewels sewn in and the glare from them made her turn away, her lip curling up in disgust.

"So she grew up with Balverines, eh?" he chortled, which made Danny look at him sharply. "You wouldn't think so with how she looks now."

"No, when she was first found she was almost completely unclothed," Damien laughed, nudging Danny as if expecting her to do the same. Instead she watched as the man's eyes swept over her, some light in them glinting maliciously as he undoubtedly tried to imagine this.

"I imagine so, yes," he sneered, smiling almost sadistically. "I bet you can be quite the animal..."

Glaring at him, Danny wrenched her arm clear of Damien's and walked away briskly. It didn't take a minute before she found herself in the company of half a dozen elderly rich women who tutted sympathetically.

"Darling, don't go near Earl, he's a pervert," one lady chuckled, and Danny sighed happily, glad they were agreeing on something right off the bat.

For a small while the nattered on about the weather, the castle and how lovely the gardens were. They enquired and listened intently as Danny explained as best she could what Balverines were really like and her experiences with them. She was just beginning to grow tired of their company as one lady spoke up;

"I think it's just darling how the King and yourself are engaged to be married!"

Danny stood rooted to the spot, staring blankly. Marriage was a term she'd become familiar with, as Walter had the tendency to tease Ben about settling down. But herself and Damien? She'd never even contemplated it.

"Who... who told you that?" she asked carefully, making sure not to say too much.

"Why, the King himself!" they exclaimed, laughing like children. "I guess it was meant to be a secret, but you know what men are like!"

"Yes, yes I know," Danny tittered, seething on the inside.

"It came as a little of a shock, seeing as only months ago you were frolicking about in the wilderness, but you do come across as a wonderful young woman. He's explained that he'll need donations from the wealthier of the poplace, you know, to help with the expense. I'm practically thrilled to help though, such a wonderful cause!"

"You... you're paying?" Danny asked, looked about at the flock of women.

"Well not just us!" they laughed, "no, no, we're all contributing a few thousand gold to help, rather than tax the poor dears to death down in the city. It's awful that they've lost their homes in that revolution... I myself asked my servants to bring their families into my home and we'd keep them until they had a house again. I hated seeing my poor helpers cry."

And though she felt some affection towards the woman who opened her heart to the poor of the city and came across so helping and loving, Danny had to excuse herself and walk inside, storming down the corridor and into a room while fuming about being nothing but a fraud the King was using for money to fund the army. Logan was sat alone at a table reading a book and drinking tea, and he looked up at her startled. She felt tears streaming down her cheeks and was clutching desperately at her chest as panic rose within her and her breathing hitched and faltered.

"Help me," she choked, collapsing to her knees. The dress was suddenly too tight, she felt like it was crushing her ribs, and she was feeling dizzier as each second passed.

Logan was on his feet and by her side within seconds, his fingers nimbly untying the strings on the corset and pulling them so they were loose. Her breathing didn't ease then, and though she felt completely vulnerable the only thing she could do to feel free from the constraints was to pull it from her body. Her lower half was covered with cotton panties, but she'd refused a brazier, and was sat before Logan, sobbing, half naked.

The older man remained amazingly calm though, leaving only briefly to his wardrobe to fetch a shirt for her to cover her modesty. He could only drape it over his shoulders and pull her close to him in a comforting hug while she cried.

"It's been a while since I've had to be a brother," he chuckled slightly, stroking her hair soothingly. Danny didn't reply, but curled up tighter in his arms, shaking. People were so confusing. Logan was now being nice, Damien was now being horrible and deceiving, Ben was away and she had no idea what was going on. Part of her longed for the trees and the wild and the comforting warmth of fur, not another persons' arms, and she whimpered slightly as she thought so.

"I'm sorry for how he's being... he's hoping the lords and ladies will approve of you and donate to a fund to help for a wedding. It's deceptive I know, but it's better than increasing taxes. I told him to tell you first, I take it he didn't. I hated not telling you myself, but he forbode me from it... penalty of death," he added with a chuckle, but it was dark and she felt for him for a moment, but it left her instantly.

"You increased taxes," Danny pointed out miserably. She knew that making people pay more to live in their homes was wrong, but this seemed like a personal insult against her and not to mention it was wrong to make people think she was his partner and not Ben's.

"I did," Logan admitted, brushing a few stray strands of hair out of her face. "But then the people rebelled against me, with the help from my flesh and blood. I had one of the men who basically helped raise me shot dead before a crowd and if it weren't for your kindness, I believe I'd have suffered the same fate by the hands of my brother."

"He wouldn't have killed you. Not even today if you'd told me about the plan," Danny tried to reassure him, but he shook his head solemnly in response.

"I've done many terrible things in my life Danny. He would have killed me then and there if it weren't for you. He valued your opinion more than the others."

There was an awkward silence between them, and despite the stark differences and confrontations they suffered when they first met, the quiet allowed them a brief period of consideration, and in that instant Danny looked at Logan and he smiled.

"I was never much of a brother to Damien, and he tends to stay away from me because of that fact. Whenever you have time, would you come to visit? I rather enjoy your company and perhaps I could properly show you about town."

Danny smiled and nodded, before standing up shyly, trying to cover her modesty. Logan noticed and a throaty chuckle escaped him, and he beamed at her.

"Let's find you some clothes first though."

* * *

The cart was on the way through the gates, where Ben had to do a lot of shouting at the city guards who near enough refused entrance to the old crippled and completely harmless Balverine.

There was a small shriek from behind him, and he whirled around to see Danny running full pelt towards him, wearing much nicer clothes than he had, but he was sure they were mens and they seemed less baggy on her than his own shirts did, him being very broad chested. The thought drifted from his mind though, and he focused again on the girl sprinting in their direction.

In the months she'd spent living with him, fighting beside him and learning to be more human, Ben had almost forgotten how she grew up. He'd forgotten how fast she ran and mentally braced himself for impact. But she flew past him and leapt through the air, easily clearing six feet before landing squarely in the cart beside her mother. She spoke rapidly in the Balverine tongue he'd become accustomed to her talking in, and she looked increasingly more distressed before she curled up close to her 'mother' and buried her face in her fur.

The boys all looked at him in a mix of shock and surprise, and he shrugged as casually as he could and gave a small grin.

"This is Danny, _my_ girl," he stressed 'my' as if to prove a point. "This is her... mother."

That didn't help the confusion the boys were obviously feeling, but the astounded expressions on their faces was more than enough to amuse him for a short period of time before he coughed.

"Right, commandeer the stables for the carts just through the arches Jason, we need to get them somewhere more private and quiet."

There was a mumble of agreement from the boys, and they all worked to slowly push the cart though the gates and work their way as quickly but quietly as possible.

Ben made sure to keep close eye on Danny, who had curled up so small and tight into the old Balverine's side that she looked as tiny as a child. She was whimpering and whispering things in her strange language, while her 'mother' spoke back in pained whines and yelps.

Slowly, painfully slowly, Danny rose herself into a sitting position and looked with large sad eyes at Ben. Her lips parted and a small sob escaped before she gathered herself up and looked at him.

"She's dying, Ben."

He stood there, dumbly, his mouth opening and closing rapidly as he tried to think of something to say, something to do in order to comfort her or relieve her pain. There was nothing, and he stood there, flustered.

"She's old," Danny continued, in almost a whisper. "She's in pain. Help her..."

She gulped, and Ben felt his heart sink to the pit of his stomach as he realised what she was asking of him.

"I can't Danny, I can't do that to you," he near enough shouted, defiant and upset and ashamed. "Not again. Not again..."

"Help her die Ben," Danny continued as if he'd said nothing. "She's in pain an- and you can end it for her. She asked for you to help because she knows you and she trusts you. If you don't then... then I will."

For a moment there was quiet, and Jason who had been stood in the corner of the empty stables shifted nervously and then left, shutting the door firmly behind him. It took a while for Ben to find his voice, but he did eventually and spoke up.

"She trusts me?"

He watched as the old girl looked at him with sad amber eyes and whined. Guilt wrapped around his heart and he bit his lip, struggling with his conscious as to what to do.

"She- she said that she trusts you." A small, sad, twisted smile graced her lips and she looked at him with such love and adoration that he almost forgot his surroundings and the situation. "She trusts you to take care of me, and she trusts you to help her in her time of need."

"Your Anglican always gets better when you need something from me," he muttered bitterly, stepping up to the cart and climbing inside. He slowly got out his rifle, watching as something of a wolfish smile played on the Balverines lips and she closed her eyes peacefully. Danny knelt down and wrapped her fingers in the soft fur, biting her lip but looking at him bravely.

He reached out first with his hand, touching the side of the balverines face gently with his fingertips, waiting to see if she protested, but she didn't. He reached forward more, feeling the soft warm fur of the creature who had loved and cared for the girl he now loved and cared for, smoothing the fur out and stroking her face, soothing her, silently telling her how much he respected and revered her, how he felt so sorry... so, so very sorry for what he had to do now. Hating himself a little, he tried to push the thoughts of her being more than just an animal from his mind, tried to get into his old mindset of 'it is just an animal, nothing more to me'. But she wasn't. Removing his hand and supporting the rifle, he lifted it up. and as he pointed the barrel at the head of the creature that had raised this amazing young girl beside him, he almost lost the will to carry through with this. Effectively he was killing her mother, who had taken her in, protected her and raised her. Shown, amazingly, some compassion and love when her species was known for being ruthless killers.

He knew though, that her pack needed him to do this. That watching her die so painfully was something they couldn't do and he – as hesitant as he was – would have to put the old girl out of her misery.

He bit his lip, watched as Danny kept her eyes fixed on her mothers' face, and pulled the trigger. In an instant the Balverine went limp, her breathing stopped and she was dead, but even he could tell the look of complete contentment upon the creatures face.

He felt Danny flinging herself upon him, her body shaking with sobs and he regretted his actions then and there before she choked out in a strangled whisper;

"Thank you."


	54. Gunshots Four

We only have 31 chapters to go! But that seems like a big number at the moments, when it's really not. We're WAY past the half way mark.

So I have become INCREADIBLY obsessed with Rise Of The Guardians, and I developed a crush on Bunnymund. It's strange and unnatural, but Avo... I love Aussie's. Anyways, I'd like to say a huge thanks to ShortOne33, because they've stuck with this story for so long and are really the only persistant reviewer. You're a star mate, keep at it and I'll love you more than Bunnymund! :D (yeah, but no I won't. Sorry)

As always, enjoy, and please leave a review :)

* * *

She knew it was a strange occurrence. Balverines and humans were gathered on the boarder to Silverpines, hundreds of their species beside the five of them; Danny, Ben, Walter, Damien and Logan. The latter two had insisted upon coming to make sure nothing went wrong with the alias between the two groups. Damien had been furious at Ben for killing her mother, and Danny watched as he went to draw his sword against the man she loved, as Ben's hand flew for his own pistol, and she had had to intervene.

She'd flown straight at Damien, knocking him clean off her feet and pinning him to the floor with her knees on his chest. He could have easily pushed her away, but she shock of her reaction kept him still, and she'd screamed in his face that Ben had done as he'd been asked, he'd performed the pack a service and they'd be as good to their word to help in any time of need. She'd explained, through tears, that her mother had been in pain for years and how it hurt the rest of the pack as they were forced to watch her health deteriorate rapidly. Crippling her, blinding her, taking everything and leaving her with a painfully slow death. She remembered Ben's scent and welcomed him into the family. It was custom for their youngs' mates to finish them if they ever reached that point.

And Ben had.

She finished in tears, and while Ben seethed to himself, Logan lifted Danny off the King and returned her to his arms, allowing him to calm himself and her while they sorted themselves out for the journey.

There was silence as Kali sniffed around the body, looking up at Danny with sad eyes.

"_I'm sorry she had to die like this_," he murmured, coming forward slowly and nuzzling her cheek.

"_Better this than being ripped apart by Drogo,_" Danny said, trying to smile slightly but failing, tears still cascading down her face.

"_How do you want her to be returned to the Mother?_" he asked, sitting on his haunches and looking at her calmly.

"_I... I want to burn her. I want her to be ashes to help the forest._"

She repeated this to Ben, who looked mildly shocked.

"A cremation?" he asked, scratching his chin. "Balverines have those?"

"Not usually. Mostly for white Balverines, something powerful to represent their strength. We get the flames from the lodge up in the woods. The old man lights torches there, but normal Balverines don't usually feel the flame."

"Your mother wasn't normal, she was amazing."

A small smile graced her lips and she wrapped her arms around Ben, feeling as he kissed her head and his stubble scratched against her, his breath warm and comforting and his embrace even more so. His acceptance of her astounded her still, but his acceptance and praise of a Balverine, something she knew he had been taught to kill. That was by far greater.

They all agreed to start the burning the next morning at sunrise, but all agreed to stay in Silverpines overnight. Danny walked in proudly and walked straight to the woman she knew to be her real mother, and hugged her, for once feeling as if she should acknowledge the woman who had given her life, but she also wanted to make her aware of the fact that the creature who had raised her was now dead. She didn't get chance to before a hand grabbed her by the hair and ripped her backwards, she felt herself tumbling and though she knew they were all waiting outside, a safe distance from the silver torches, she could hear the Balverines growling and snarling in protest.

"Stop!" Ben yelled, and Danny felt the pain on her head lessen, and Joseph was backing away with a scowl on his face. Danny looked up and Ben, Walter and Damien had their guns pointing towards the elderly man.

"You bring her back here again, but with those bastards waiting out there to kill us?!" he spat, going purple in the face. "I should take your weapons from you and throw you to them now!"

"Do that then, they're our friends," Logan spat back, equally as venomous, perhaps even more so. He was angry. So were the others and Genevieve was trembling in fury.

"Friends?! They're waiting to tear you to shreds and-"

He stopped and gaped at the cart where the still body of the dead Balverine lay. A cruel smirk played across his lips, and Danny felt his stomach twist and her hands ball into fists.

"You killed one of the fuckers? Good on you lads, skin it and hang the carcass outside as a warning to them all."

"You won't hurt her," Danny choked out, standing and scowling at the man. "She raised me."

A loud nasty laugh erupted from him, and he doubled over.

"All the better to do that then you nasty piece of shit, we don't want anything here in relation to you."

Danny snapped before she could stop herself, but as she started forward to attack the idiot, a hand grabbed her wrist, gently but still firm enough to halt her.

"Then I'm leaving Joseph. I've stood by and let you be cruel to her but not any more," Genevieve stated, standing tall and proud. "If this... this poor creature is dead then we should give her a proper burial. She's saved my baby, it's the least I can do to be there and respect her memory."

Danny felt her heart swell and she stood a little closer to the green eyed woman. She'd never seen a reason to accept her properly, though she knew that Genevieve would have taken her back in a heartbeat, wild or not. She felt some love for her, and smiled.

"You can't come back," Joseph growled, his eyes narrowed into slits. "I'll never have you back here."

"I couldn't care less," Genevieve snapped, pulling Danny close and wrapping her arms about her. "I know she's bonded to her-" she nodded to the body in the cart "-but I have a lot of time to catch up on with Al... Danny. If she'll accept me as a friend then that's more than I could have hoped for."

A simple nod was all it took to infuriate Joseph, who pulled a pistol from beneath his coat and fired towards them both.

Three gunshots were heard initially, and while Danny braced herself for the pain nothing happened. Glancing upwards, Kali was stood before her, quivering. He moaned slightly before slumping over and with a shriek Danny knew what had happened. Another shot was heard, and Joseph fell to the ground, dead.

There was no time to think, she needed to get him out of the village and away from the silver torches or he'd certainly die. Ika was by her side, wincing from the stench of the torches but determined to help his alpha. With Ben's help, Danny managed to push Kali up onto Ika's back while Walter and Damien got the people nearest to run around and extinguish the torches so they could get Kali safely out.


	55. Silver

Hey guys, I love Rise of the Guardians and if you like it then read mah story! Sorry, shameless promoting, I know. I watched Les Miserables too, and I cried like a little bitch. You not seen it yet, you need to, and you need tissues unless you're as heartless as my partner who never shed one tear throughout the film. Uck.

Anyways, please invest some thought in the film and the story, and enjoy this one :D reviews are welcome as always.

* * *

The alpha was in a terrible mood, and wouldn't let anyone near him to try and help. He'd come inches close to biting Danny, and would have done if he hadn't seen and pulled her sharply away from the creature.

He was sat awkwardly away from the group, licking his wounds while scowling their way.

"Are you okay Danny?" he asked, wrapping an arm around a stiff Danny who was staring blankly ahead.

"He's never tried to bite me before. None of them have," she whispered, before sighing frustratedly and storming over to the beast.

She yelled something at him in their language, before jumping on him and pinning him down. Her leg swung across his body and she kept him down by pressing down on his throat, before gritting her teeth and plunging her fingers into the bullet wounds to retract the bullets. She Balverine howled and his arm swung upwards, catching the side of her face and making blood spurt everywhere. She had one bullet out, but there were two more to get, while she'd made the alpha so angry he knocked her sideways.

He could only watch on as Danny rolled backwards away from the oncoming attacks, before making one huge jump in the air to grab a tree branch and heave herself up. The Balverine followed, but as he started to pull out his gun Walter stopped him, shaking his head.

"We can't harm their alpha, they won't aid us in the war!" he yelled above the screams from the other Balverines and the gasps of horror from Damien and Logan.

He looked back to see Danny plummeting back to the ground, a fresh cut along her arm and the Balverine landed atop her, snarling town into her face. One swift kick to the crotch later and the alpha dropped again like a sack of potatoes. She wasted no time in smacking it across the face, dazing it before going back in for bullet two.

And he saw it drop from her fingers as she hurled through the air, hitting a tree with a sickening crunch before dropping back down into a heap on the floor, and the alpha advanced slowly.

"I don't care about allies, I'm not letting him kill her," Ben yelled, pulling his gun out and pointing it at the monster. "Oi!" he yelled, catching it's attention.

And while distracted, Danny unfurled from her foetal position, diving in and knocked the thing back again, retrieving bullet three before swinging around a branch and kicking the beast in the face, knocking it unconscious.

She stood for a second, looking dazed, before she lifted her arm slowly and observed the deep cuts, looking around at how much blood she'd lost spattered up against trees and staining the ground.

And she looked at him, and smiled slightly before collapsing herself, unconscious.

She woke up feeling groggy, her senses dazed and confused and her limbs were numb. The moon was high in the sky and she relaxed slightly.

"_Am I dead?_" she whispered, allowing herself to flicker her eyes open and stare up into amber ones. "_Did he kill me?_"

"_No, Daenerys, he didn't. But he could have done and he came close to. You did something very stupid then_."

"_I know, but those were silver. I could feel it in my bones like he could. He would have licked all he liked, he would have died_," she muttered bitterly, feeling for her arms to try and push herself up.

"_Stay down, I'll fetch your mate_," Ika hushed her, nuzzling her cheek before padding away to bring Ben.

* * *

She looked like hell, but a small smile was playing on her lips. He wanted to shout at her, to abash her and to make her feel stupid for what she had done. But she'd fought a Balverine and had the sheer brass balls to pull bullets from it to save it. Bare handed no less, so he couldn't help but feel a little smug at the fact that she was his.

"Danny, are you okay?"

"I feel... I don't know."

"Damien gave you some of his health potion. Your cuts are healing but it'll make you feel tired for a while. You should be fine for the cremation though."

She nodded slightly before allowing herself to close her eyes and turn her head, falling asleep instantly.

He watched her for hours, trying as best he could to ignore the hateful glares from Damien. Walter managed to keep him quiet for a small while, and surprisingly Logan was quite good company. It wasn't until he heard yet another sigh behind him that something in him snapped, and he stood up in a flurry of anger and frustration.

"What is your problem?" he hissed, staring into the angry brown eyes of the King.

"You're a terrible person for her," Damien retorted, his eyes narrowing into slits. "Do you not remember every bad thing you've done to her? Killing her pack, forcing her into society, letting Page bully her and almost kill her, being a genuine _dick_ to her, and letting her walk into danger at every available point. Bowerstone, Mourningwood, Aurora and now Silverpines; what other reason do I need to give to prove you're a selfish human being?"

"As opposed to the man who is deceiving the wealthy citizens of Albion into believing Danny is your fiancé so they will provide money to fund the event."

Ben froze at Logans' sudden sharp words and looked at Damien who had paled considerably. He didn't look ashamed though, in fact he just looked mildly pleased with himself.

"She went along with it you know," he drawled.

"Hardly, she ran off when she found out what you were doing and I had to comfort her," Logan snipped, looking just as irritated as Ben. "You might want to stop leading him on to believing something that isn't true."

"I'd suggest you shut up Logan, I wouldn't hesitate to shoot you like I should have done months ago."

"But you won't do that," came a soft voice, and every eye turned to look at Danny, who had stood up shakily. "Damien, this isn't you..."

There was complete silence as the young girl limped forwards, staring right at the young King.

"You fought to stop people fighting this way, to stop cruelty and deception. You're turning into the very thing you fought against."

There was silence and she approached him, very timid but at the same time strong and her presence was enough to bring the forest to a shuddering halt.

"I fought beside you and even though I never trusted you, you were always good and kind and did your best to do the best by the people who you would one day rule over. Now I trust you and you're giving me reasons not to. You're better than this, please... be a good King."


	56. The Funeral

Hey guys, I'll keep it short and sweet this time.

Shameless plug to my new Rise of the Guardians fic, 'The End Of Summer', please check it out.

Shameless ask for reviews... done.

Enjoy, as always my readers :)

* * *

Besides the time she'd seen Ben after Major Swift's death, she'd not seen a grown man cry. Nor had she had to support their weight and listen to their ramblings while they did so. But now she was, her arms around the shoulders of Damien who was sat slumped over with his head in his hands.

"I thought I could handle this!" he cried out, looking frustrated and angry with himself. "I thought I could do a better job than Logan, but I can't. I'm turning into Logan..."

"Maybe that's not a bad thing," she tried to point out, only to receive a passive grunt, indicating how Damien obviously felt differently.

"Your brother must have been a good King before he found out about the Darkness and had to make changes," she pushed, watching as he nodded his head reluctantly. "And he seems to be a good man now he's not King any more."

"He's alright," Damien mumbled sullenly, and she sensed a bit of sibling rivalry and smiled a little.

"You made people believe you could be a good King, and so far you have been. Maybe you just need to advertise more about the Darkness, make people aware so they can give money to help protect themselves and their families. Get people to fight if they're willing, just train them up a bit."

"It's not that simple-"

"But it's not that hard," Danny cut over Damien before he could elaborate, and he looked up to her with sad brown eyes. He looked like a small child to her, one that seemed lost and confused. "Get people to understand."

He let out a sigh and shook his head, before giving one curt not.

"I'll try."

She left him to think then, standing shakily to go out into the woods and find Kali, who had woken up shortly after her and fled. He wouldn't have gone far though, he'd have wanted to stay close to the pack and make sure they were safe.

* * *

He watched her go, and felt his heart drop a little as she did. The sun was barely on the horizon and they'd have to start building the fire around the Balverines body on the plinth they'd made overnight. It had been a long task, probably in some way made easier through Danny's absence. He could see she'd been visibly upset, but holding in the tears. He'd done that many a time over the years and knew the tell tale signs to look out for.

He followed her quietly, and stood a small ways off when he saw her approach the hunched body of the alpha. He heard something behind him, a twig snap, and spun around to stare at the young grey Balverine. Ika, he'd been told to call him.

Pressing a finger to his lips, he then pointed forwards to Danny and the other beast and Ika approached carefully, quietly, huddled up at Ben's feet.

Danny seemed to be talking to the alpha quietly, and he nodded his great head once before standing and looking towards him and the younger Balverine.

"Ben? You're here?" Danny called out, pushing her way through the bushes and standing in front of Ben and Ika.

"Yeah, I just... we need to light the fire soon."

"Oh..."

They stood awkwardly for a small while, Ben rubbing the back of his neck while Danny hugged herself.

Smoke was billowing upwards through the trees, while the fire crackled and consumed the body. The fire needed continuous stoking, so piles of logs and dry branches were brought by Balverines and villagers alike. The clearing where so many of the pack had been killed roughly eight months before was full of people and Balverines, mingled together and looking about in wonder at how the two species, at polar opposite ends of the scale, were sat together peacefully. Danny had her face buried in Ben's chest, and had cried for hours until she'd drifted off to sleep.

He remembered how they'd met here. How she'd run out at first to save that young Balverine, the one now curled up at his feet. How she'd stopped the members of her pack killing him and how she'd been thanked by having to watch them all shot before being captured herself.

On many occasions he'd considered taking her back to Silverpines and letting her return to everything she'd known and everything she'd grown up with. Sometimes he found himself thinking about Gunk, and how he wished he could go back there even for a day just to visit his parents' and brothers' graves. He'd told her all about them when she'd first joined the Brigade, though whether she remembered or understood was a different matter altogether. He wanted to take her there one day, show her where he grew up and where he used to busk. Introduce her to his parents; though they were dead she was quite a spiritual person from what he'd gathered, and she'd understand what he wanted.

Her whimpering broke off his train of thought, and he looked down thinking she was awake and crying again, but she was asleep, kicking and jerking about.

_She knew she was dreaming, as everything seemed too vivid. The colours too bright, the smells too intense, and never in her life had she been able to hear her heart pounding in her chest. She wanted to will herself awake but there was something telling her to go along with it. See what her subconscious had to offer her._

_She was in the woods in Silverpines, deep in a thicket, lost and confused. Glancing about her surroundings she noticed the rippling waters of a spring, far too blue and far too loud. Fighting her was through the brush, everything seeming too tall, she looked into the waters and the face of a child stared back. Bright green eyes, brighter than usual blinking at her. Her cheeks red and her clothing frayed and dirty. She called out, her voice high and shrill, and a Balverine dropped in front of her. Smiling wolfishly as she scooped her up and carried her back to the pack._

_She knew she was accepted by them, the way the other cubs ran to her and started playing, but her pounding heart told her she was still afraid of them. Still aware there was something not quite right about this and that this wasn't home... then her foster mother, the Balverine that had taken her in nuzzled her cheek, and she relaxed and her heart calmed and she smiled and fell asleep._

_She woke to the sound of screaming men, the clearing where the pack nested was relatively empty, save a few younger Balverines and their younger brothers and sisters huddled together looking scared. She stared at them briefly, before turning on her heel and running through the forest, tripping over branches and stumbling over roots. Twigs caught her and ripped at her dress, and arms and face, as if trying to hold her back. But she broke through and ran as fast as she could. Then there in the clearing were a dozen or more men, fighting back against Balverines._

_One man in particular stood out, with a mess of curly brown hair upon his head flecked with grey, and amazing blue eyes, who in a second caught a glance of her running towards him and shouted her name;_

"_Alice!"_

_She felt a rush and ran towards her father, but his momentary lapse in concentration allowed a young Balverine, but strong and vicious, to pounce upon him, biting deep into his shoulder and digging his claws into the flesh of his arms._

"_Dad!" she shrieked, launching herself at the pair and dragging the Balverine off, collapsing beside her father who trembled and tried to press his hand against the bleeding wound in his shoulder, his eyes wide and wild._

"_Alice, run home," he choked, his mouth foaming around the edges and his eyes popping slightly, "go!"_

_And she wanted to, she really did, but her body was frozen and her eyes wide as she looked down at the man who was shaking, crying out in pain as his limbs contorted and started stretching, bones cracking as they reshaped themselves, his fingers curling back and his fingernails growing considerably longer, thicker, turning into claws. Those startling blue eyes began turning black, infected and within seconds were a fierce yellow. His hair grew, and more fur sprouted from every inch of his body, his clothing tearing at the seams until it hung limply off him._

_He lay there, panting, tired, in pain, and his eyes lolled about his head trying to gain a baring of his surroundings._

_And her unconscious screamed at her, willing her now to wake up, to realise what was happening and what was going on. To realise what her family was and how now she could bring the pack and the humans together._

Her eyes fluttered open, she was drenched in a cold sweat, but she took no notice, instead looked up and about for one face, one individual. She sought him out and stared at him, his eyes showing that understanding. She knew.

Approaching Kali, she placed a hand gently upon his head and choked;

"Dad?"


	57. United

Thanks for the reviews guy! Keep em coming *crazy laugh*

Anwyays, as always, enjoy :)

* * *

By the time the fire had gone out and all that remained of Danny's Balverine mother were ashes and embers, the entirety of the village and the pack knew that Danny's father had not been killed when he had gone to look for her all those years ago when she'd gone missing, but that he'd been turned into a Balverine.

One reason the pack took her in was because the beast whose ashes they were collecting into a box had taken her in shortly after the loss of one of her cubs, but the main reason was that after her father had been turned, he made the pack treat her as one of their own. As an equal.

Though at first he tried to encourage her to go back to Genevieve, his wife and her mother (who was sat by looking shell shocked after crying for an extended period of time) , he eventually wanted her to stay. He'd lost his family and his home because of the change and didn't want to lose the only thing he had to remember them by, even if that meant she lost the memory of her childhood with her real parents in the first place.

He had to let her go at some point though, so when he found her travelling with Ben and the Swift Brigade he accepted that and allowed them to go and take care of her. That was why he was so willing to help them fight the Darkness, but under the condition that no other Balverine would be harmed by a human, so no other man or woman had to endure what he had all these years. He admitted he felt guilty, and as if he betrayed his wife by letting her believe her whole family had been killed. But Genevieve shook her head, brushing it off when Danny translated for her.

There was a cough from behind them, and Ben turned to look at Damien, along with everyone else.

"We actually should be getting back to Bowerstone. We need to figure out how to employ more soldiers and raise more money."

Danny nodded in the corner of his eye, and he watched her take the box of ashes before creeping through to the thicket of the trees to where water could be heard trickling down. She must have let the ashes go there, because she came back with an empty box and nodded to Ben that she wanted to go.

A thought struck him, and he turned to the other green eyes woman in the vicinity.

"Are you staying here Gen, or are you coming back to Bowerstone?"

"I... I don't know," the woman whispered, looking between Danny and the Balverine that was her husband.

"You can stay here if you like," Danny spoke up, sounding very gentle. "He'll take care of you."

"I don't doubt that," Genevieve said with a small smile, "but I don't want to lose you again..."

"You won't, I'll come to visit," Danny reassured her before pulling her into a warm embrace and staying there for a moment. "You are my mother after all..."

The goodbyes weren't drawn out, and Danny left Silverpines with the image of Genevieve and Kali stood side by side, smiling while she had one hand twisted tightly into his fur. It was odd, it was unheard of, but it really put her mind at ease because it showed her how the two species, despite the legends and the cultural differences and the fact that less than a year ago they were both trying their damnedest to kill the other, could actually get along and unite.

They arrived back in Bowerstone way after midnight, and while Logan and Damien parted ways to go back up to the castle, Ben and Danny turned right and headed to Industrial, walking slowly and discussing the days' events. He knew she'd want comforting, after losing the only mother she'd known for the majority of her life, but she'd found out her father hadn't been killed by her pack and instead became part of it, looking after her for the most part, or making sure she was okay in the long run. The last thing he expected was for her to try and comfort him.

"Are you okay about Damien?" she asked, shooting him a sideways glance. "About him lying to the rich people about me?"

"What?" he thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Depends. You're not interested in him are you?"

She stopped walking and looked appalled, and he smiled slightly as her mouth dropped, her eyes fixed on him as he stood in front of her. She sputtered for a moment, and he knew she felt nothing but friendship for the King, and he smirked to himself as she tried to voice her outrage at his question. Until she could, he took to looking her up and down, smirking wider at her apparel. She always seemed to wear one of his shirts, which were far too long, almost like a dress and always gave a nice dip in the front so he could catch a glimpse of her breasts. She wasn't shy about it really, she'd not grown up knowing to be shy about it. He definitely like that about her.

The one thing he didn't appreciate about her stealing his shirts was that it hid her figure, and made her seem very shapeless. When in reality she had the most amazing figure, the most amazing body he'd ever seen on a woman. Her face was perhaps the most beautiful thing about her, her eyes the most vibrant green, like dappled light shining through the trees. Her cheeks seemed to be ever tinged pink, as if she were constantly blushing, and her mouth was the most delicate cupids' bow shape he'd ever seen. Not to mention her hair teemed down in waves, framing her face and tumbling below her shoulders.

She was still floundering around for words to express her outrage when Ben started chuckling, and pulled her close in his arms.

"I know you don't feel for him sweetheart," he started, brushing those long brown waves from her face. "I don't give a toss what he's doing, he's a prat." She nodded her agreement, before biting her lip.

"I hate him in some ways, Ben," she admitted looking somewhat ashamed. "I couldn't feel the same way for him as I do for you."

His heart was pounding, he believed he knew what she was about to say, it wouldn't be the first time. But there seemed to be some more depth to this. More honesty, more sincerity.

"I do love you Ben."

And before he realised it, before he could stop himself he was opening his mouth. He was saying those exact words back to her before he even considered it. He knew he was a hopeless romantic, wanting something like what his parents had. It had been rough, but they'd stayed together through thick and thin and it had been until death do they part. Even then his father drunk himself to death over the loss of his wife. Ben had always thought his father knew what he was doing, but wanted to be with his mother again so badly there was no other choice for him.

"I love you too."

And with that, he scooped her up, carrying her through the streets at a brisk pace, climbing up to his flat with her slung over his shoulders while she laughed and clung on to him, then throwing her down onto his bed when they got in, kneeling down above her, while she lay back, inviting him in.


	58. Meeting The Dwellers

Thanks for the reviews guys :)

Check out my other fics too, as always, please leave me a message or something with con. criticism, or thoughts or whatever else :)

* * *

She woke up in the morning curled into Ben's side. It was a strange feeling, not being alone on days like this. He was often being called out to help train the soldiers more and more, and the King had managed to start a campaign to recruit a lot more soldiers.

"Morning," he whispered, pulling her flush against him, so her head was resting on his chest and her arm draped across him. His fingers toyed with her hair, pulling out the knots and smoothing it all down. She looked up herself to see his eyes closed, still sleepy, with large purple bags under his eyes simply showing how exhausted he was. His hair had grown to be quite long, and was sticking up in various directions while the majority fell down over his face. Reaching up slowly she brushed the hair out of the way, running her fingers through his blond locks before retracting her hand and resting it down across his chest again. His stubble had grown so much over the last few months that it was forming a golden coloured beard. He had the air of an exhausted man about him, looking increasingly untidy as the days went on.

"Morning," she replied, yawning and stretching her limbs, before rolling out of bed and onto the cold floor with a shiver.

"How did you cope in Silverpines?" Ben asked, and she turned to see he was watching her.

"I had a lot of warm fur to cuddle in to," she laughed, before gathering up some clothes and pulling them on, adding layers to warm herself before heading over to the stove and heating up the copper kettle filled with water. She'd been learning how to complete tasks around the home, spending hours in the kitchens in the castle learning from the cooks and maids. They took pleasure in humouring her and teaching her, and often Logan would accompany her and they would talk over the terrible cups of tea she'd made for them.

She was pouring the water into two mugs when she felt his arms wrap around her waist.

"What are you doing Ben?" she asked, smiling in spite of herself.

"Nothing," he replied, nuzzling his face into her neck, kissing and nipping the skin there. With each touch her breath hitched a little, until she let her head tip backwards and she let him continue.

"You're up to something," she laughed and he chuckled too, taking the kettle from her hand as she was still clutching it, and turning her around.

"No, I'm just... I have to go away again," he sighed, resting his head on her shoulder.

"You're away a lot," she sighed, lifting her arms and wrapping them around his neck.

"You don't think I know?" he spat, losing his temper for a moment, which he soon regained once she gave him a reproachful look. "I'm sorry love... why don't you go up to the castle and get Logan to play feeble with you? Or see if Walter will tell you a story. You like those."

"I haven't seen Walter in a while," she admitted, untangling herself from his arms and turning to grab the thick woollen cardigan Ben had bought for her. It was a soft fleece inside, and really warm. She'd taken to curling up in it lately wherever she was. "When are you leaving?"

"About ten," he sighed, yawning heavily. Then scratching his new found beard.

"How long are you going for?"

"We're off to Mistpeaks again, so about a month..."

"Ok."

She turned and pecked him on the lips, before letting herself out of the hatch and descending quickly down the ladders. She had no intention of staying in Bowerstone again, not for a month on her own.

* * *

It was a long ride to the Valleys up North, and Ben made sure all of the men he'd taken were well equipped for the cold and for fighting mercenaries, hobbes and hollow men. Jason had shown how good he worked under orders and was helping train the men along with Ben. The blond actually quite enjoyed the company of the young man, they got along fairly well and had come to develop a good banter between them.

"How long till we're there?" Jason yawned, stuffing a fist in his mouth to stifle it, but only blowing out condensed air from around his gloved hand.

"Few hours now," Ben noted, looking around as the ground was becoming frostier and the terrain more rocky as they ascended the mountains.

"Why couldn't we have gone South to train? Its warmer there and if we're fighting in the summer against something that lives in a desert then it's be better preparation."

Ben laughed at this and made a swipe at Jason's head, though not successfully wiping away that cocky grin. There was silence again between the two, the smile on Jason's face leaving completely as the time dragged on. The silence was only punctured by the whistling of the wind, the soft clopping sound of the horses hooves and the wheels creaking. Every now and then a few of the lads had a whispered conversation. They never lasted long, there was a sense of overhanging dread about the area, and non of them wanted to miss a thing when it happened.

Their eyes were freezing against the wind, reducing them all to squinting, when all of a sudden a great lumbering figure trod out into the middle of the path, spooking the horse and making it whinny, backing up in fright while Ben stood and aimed his gun.

"Who goes there?!" he yelled, pulling back the hammer of the gun, preparing to fire.

There was a grunt and the figure lumbered forward, and Ben almost shot the man when another voice spoke up in a thick drawl accent.

"Whoa there young soldier! Don't shoot Boulder, he's just getting in the way again."

Ben paused, searching the depths of his mind for a memory when it fell into place.

"Sabine?" he called, jumping down from the cart and hushing the horse, looking up onto a pile of craggy rocks at the old man stood there with a long cane.

"Well if it isn't Captain Finn! How's life treating you?"

"Well enough," he replied, his face breaking into a grin. He was surprised they'd found their ways into the midst of the Dweller Lands.

"And what about that pretty lady of yours? The one who grew up with Balverines?" Sabine asked, chortling as he jumped down the rocks with surprising agility for someone his age.

"Danny? She's well too. Back in Bowerstone staying safe."

"Really?" Sabine looked sceptically at one of the younger men who hadn't said a word the entire ride, and had kept his hood up. "She's back in Bowerstone eh?"

He burst out laughing as Danny lowered her hood looking shame faced at Ben. Jason burst out laughing too, and didn't even shut up when Ben glared at him, then a ripple of laugher went through the lads. He felt livid. She was a good fighter but recently she'd been getting hurt more and more and there was a part of him that wanted to to drag her back to Bowerstone and throw her in a cell to keep her safe and out of the way. He knew she didn't like being left on her own, but it was safer for her to be back there than to be here where she could easily be killed. She must have sensed his frustration though, because she'd scrambled out of the cart before Ben could even go forward to reach her and had sprinted behind Boulder, seeking shelter and protection.

"Danny!" he yelled, shoving the hulk of a man aside with surprising strength, before grabbing her forearms tightly with his hands. "The bloody hell are you doing here?"

There was a hint of fright behind her eyes, which she tried masking with a defiant stare.

"I can do what I want Ben, you're not in charge of me!"

This only made him angrier, and he shook her roughly.

"Stowing away on a convoy to Mistpeaks? You can be shot for that Danny!"

Her face paled and she struggled to get away from him, pulling and tugging while everyone else averted their eyes to avoid looking at the pair.

"Danny..." his voice was suddenly much gentler, and she stopped her attempts to flee and looked at him from under her eye lashes. His hands loosened and his fingers trailed down her arms to link with hers, clasping her hands. "I want you to stay safe, I don't want you hurt. I didn't want you to come because of that." He squeezed her fingers tightly, pulling her a bit closer.

"I'll take her to the Dweller Camp, set her up and make sure she's fed and watered," Sabine offered. "Give her a change of scenery."

"Please," Danny whispered, obviously not wanting to be sent home.

Ad he conceded, nodded and watched Sabine welcome her with open arms, acting very much as a grandfather would. She needed these family figures in her life, and Sabine being the rough and tumble old coot he was would surely be her kind of person.

He watched them all walk away, Danny shooting furtive glances back at him before they disappeared around a corner.


	59. Pigs

Another chapter :) We're getting close to the end!

Hope you enjoy, read and review and all that jazz.

I don't own Fable (first disclaimer of the story? Perhaps...)

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The Dweller camp was small compared to Bowerstone, but in her eyes Bowerstone was far too big for anything. It wasn't natural what was built there. This camp though, was completely natural. The people were simple, and lived in a loving community group. She loved it here, even though the cold did nip at her skin and she clothing she wore didn't give her much resistance to the cold climate.

"We should find you some proper clothing, lest you freeze," Sabine said with a small smile, leading her over to a nearby structure she'd never seen the likes of before.

"What are these?" she asked, gesturing all about her.

"These? Caravans love," the shopkeeper laughed, routing through a bundle of disorganized clothes before pulling out the ones that would be most beneficial to her. "You need help dressing or can you handle yourself?" he asked kindly. "My wife can help if needs be."

A woman with dark brown eyes and cascades of golden curls stood in front of another caravan next to this one, shaking out a rug. Upon hearing her husband reference her she turned and smiled at Danny who stood there shivering.

"No I can do it," Danny said as politely as she could, bowing slightly to the man for a reason she was completely unfamiliar with. It just seemed something respectful to do, and he smiled warmly at her before Sabine caught her attention again.

"Right, we can't have you out on the street can we? So I've got Boulder getting you a caravan ready. Alls you have to do is head up that hill there," he pointed to a small slope, lined by trees and at the top a snow covered wooden structure stood, alone and overlooking the camp. "It's nice, don't worry about being alone," he laughed, and she thanked him for his kindness before walking up to her new home.

Boulder passed her as she walked up the slippery slope, desperately trying to dig her feet into whatever snow there was that allowed her some extra footing.

The climb warmed her, which she supposed was part of Sabine's plan. The caravan looked very cosy, and she let herself in, shutting the small wooden door behind her to keep the cold out.

And it was warmer than Ben's flat. The walls were covered with brightly coloured rugs and throws, acting as insulation for the small abode. There was a small table fitted to the wall on the right with a few basic provisions on it, enough to last her though to morning if she wished to eat and drink. There was a little burner for her to heat water in the copper kettle left there too, and she smiled while looking around.

There was a small stool to her left, while there were rounded hangers on the wall above it for her clothing. And directly across from her was a bed of sorts, as long as the caravan was wide – plenty of room for her, allowing her to stretch out and ease her limbs – and wide enough so she could turn over and not fall out. It was plush and she sank into it a little, relaxing. There were thick blankets to pull over herself and a large fur throw lay over them all to provide the extra layer of warmth that would be needed on a very cold night.

She sat up slowly, sighing. This felt right. Just simple, and small, and easy to live in. she doubted highly that Ben would take to a home as small as this, and she smiled in spite of herself as she imagined trying to raise children here with him. Between their personalities, any offspring of theirs would likely destroy the place. She had to respect the woman and men in the camp below who were raising entire families beneath one small roof.

She got up reluctantly, her joints resisting and begging her to succumb to the warmth of the bed. But she stood, stripped off and after a few confused moments she pulled on a thick cotton tunic, plain cream coloured material designed to keep her warm, before pulling on the long cotton pants that clung to her skin. Over the tunic went a heavy shirt, cream wool on the outside but a soft brown downy fur on the inside, rabbit she thought to herself. A thick leather skirt she had to buckle around her went on next, with a thicker greyish brown fur sewn to the inside of the leather against her legs. It felt familiar and she put it on with a frown as she recognised it as wolf fur, but it would keep her warm anyway. A similar vest was adorned afterwards, and then boots that came up to her calves and fur fingerless gloves. She left the hood as she didn't know where to tie it, and satisfied she had dressed herself correctly despite the complicated ties and buckles, she set out into the camp.

She quickly found that the thick leather acted as a wind breaker, keeping her warmer as she went about the place looking into homes curiously and viewing the wares the small shops had to offer.

Despite the bitter cold and the obvious poor conditions of the small town and the poverty the people were living in, everyone graced her with a smile as she wandered around, the woman offering her cups of herbal tea, the children begging her to play with them and then men berating her – though not unkindly – for stories of Balverines and how she helped in the uprising. Some of the men remembered her, though their faces she could not recall, and clapped her on the back, congratulating her on her recovery, commending her on her fighting skills, and asking her to teach them to be as lithe and agile. She laughed them off, telling them it was something she had grown up doing, and she excused herself to try and find Sabine.

He was near the North side of the town, in a fort atop a rocky slope, designed to protect the few citizens from whatever attacks they might come under if the drawbridge should fail them.

"Well, don't you look the part of a Dweller!" he cried, bounding over to her in long strides to pull her into a one armed hug, his warm brown eyes full of laughter and life. Despite what she knew was coming after the spring, the danger the country was in, she couldn't help but smile back and push the dangers to the back of her minds recesses.

"Did I dress myself right?" she asked him, turning slowly, holding her arms out.

"You did, of course, you're not as daft as people think you are," he nodded, before putting his hand on her lower back and steering her towards an open fire with a wild pig turning on a spit. "Now, to eat! Could you be a dear and ring that bell there, then help me serve this thing to my people?"

"Yes, of course," she did as she was told, and was surprised to see all the children of the town run up to Sabine, gathering in a neat single file line, followed by the women, then the men. Sabine cut off a strip of meat for each individual, saving enough at the end for herself, himself and Boulder, who took his piece and immediately gave it to a heavily pregnant woman to his left.

"That's his wife," Sabine explained in a hushed whisper. "Boulder barely eats so she stays fed. Avo help them when the bairn comes."

Danny considered this for a moment, then turned to Sabine.

"Where do you get the pig from?" she asked, regarding his suspicious look carefully.

"Up high in the mountain. It's terrible cold though and they're fast too."

"I could catch some for you, could I have the help of Boulder and one more man?"

And reluctantly he agreed, and she was taken to a hollow in the middle of the snow covered fir trees, where tusked pigs snuffled along the ground. She told the men to wait in the shadows, took a spear from the man called John who'd been sent to help – a young man, about as old as Ben, with very defined and chiselled features – and then climbed up a tree carefully.

The pigs heard her and looked up, but suspected nothing but birds or some other creature as they returned to digging at the hard ground for food.

And Danny struck then, launching the spear through the air she got it through one of the pigs necks, it and squealed bloody blue murder before it bled quickly to death, but it was enough to send the other pigs running. She took the limited chance she had and dropped, hoping her timing was right, and landing before a pig. She's hoped to land on it's back, as that would have saved her some hassle, but her sudden appearance shocked the pig still, and she was able to grab it by the tusks and push it back violently, flipping herself over by it's head and landing with a resounding crunch on it's back, paralysing the pig but not killing it, and it cried out in pain and anguish.

She took the spear from the throat of the dead pig, and jammed it into the skull of the one that was dying painfully, ending it's misery and then sending a silent prayer to the Mother for providing her and the Dweller Camp with this bountiful food.

And the look on the peoples faces as they walked in, holding the fattest pigs they'd seen in a while up in triumph. The fattest one was buried in snow, freezing and preserving it. The other was roasted right away, and within the hour people were starting to pick at it while a wealthier merchant from Brightwall, another town near by, pulled out several bottles of whiskey and the people drank themselves warm and merry.

Danny laughed along, refusing the amber liquid as it smelled foul, and knowing only too well how she couldn't handle alcohol, but instead decided to watch the people, enjoy the night with them, and she was lucky enough to receive a thankful kiss on the cheek from Sabine himself, who was ruddy red in the face from all the whiskey.


	60. In The Caravan

Hope you all enjoy :)

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After two weeks watching the boys fighting hobbes and hollow men, and the odd stupid mercenary that tried attacking a small group of them when they wandered around the area, he decided the boys were getting on well in their training. There were no mishaps, unlike the first time he brought a group of them up to Mistpeaks, and thankfully Jason stayed fully clothed and out of killing range of hobbes.

They were walking back through the slippery paths towards home when he remembered Danny was up in the Dweller camp, and almost hit himself for his sheer stupidity and forgetfulness. It didn't take long for the group to retrace their steps and make the toiling climb up to the camp.

And the sight before them was something that made each and every exhausted man smile brightly. The whole town was alive with music, drums and lutes and people singing, dancing around fires and playing with one another. In the midst of this frivolous joy was Danny, clad in fur and leather, holding tightly to Sabine as he whirled her around, everybody clapping along to the beat of the drums while they never missed a step. Slowly the soldiers made their way down, the towns people seeing them and greeting them warmly, offering bits of food and drink while young women pulled out some of the more attractive lads and danced with them.

It was a large party, people having fun, and no sooner did Ben make it to the inner most ring of people watching and cheering Sabine and Danny did he feel the girl throw herself upon him, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him chastely on the lips.

He could only manage a laugh, long and loud, and his body eased up, all the joints that ached no more than fifteen minutes ago seemed renewed, fresh and raring to go again. And his men set up camp around the village, pitching tents in snow drifts behind caravans or in the shelter of some fir trees out of sight. After hours of dancing and cheering and eating and being merry people began to retire to bed, the Bowerstone men thankful for any blankets or furs the Dwellers could spare to keep them warmer, some boys even being invited into caravans for what Ben suspected would not end in sleep, especially those who disappeared with giggling woman.

He turned and watched, and Danny was still dancing, leaping about with Sabine who never seemed to tire for an old chap. He smiled gently, watching as her eyes brightened a little with each movement, her hair flicking out and swaying as she danced, then all of a sudden she stopped and looked at him, and she smiled, walking over slowly.

"Can we go back to the caravan?" she asked him quietly, and he nodded and followed her in comfortable silence to the caravan atop the hill, looking down briefly at the few people still dancing, Sabine sitting now with a group of children regaling them with the story of the revolution, and how it had been won in a fiery triumph. He followed her into the small abode, feeling a little claustrophobic but overall comfortable in the small home.

And she stripped before him, peeling away the layers of leather, fur and cotton, hanging them up on peg to his left before standing there, in all her beauty, twisting her fingers in front of her while blushing slightly. He realised his pants felt unusually snug as he took in every gentle curve of her body, candlelight from the bracket on the wall casting a warm orange glow over her skin, and he stepped forward slightly and brushed his fingers along her waist. Grazing them over the long thin scar she had as a solemn reminder of how close she came to death during the revolution. The puckered scars along her arms where she'd been shot, pushing she hair from her face and looking at the small scars along her shoulders where debris had fallen upon her, before sliding his hands down her back, finding all the others from the same instance.

But she was beautiful. She was flawless. And he pulled her into a warm embrace, kissing her forehead gently, before dropping his head and kissing her nose, making her hum with a suppressed laugh, before capturing her lips, feeling them mould around his and she shivered in anticipation in his arms.

Her fingers were fumbling at his shirt, loosening the heavy golden buttons on his jacket and pulling it off him by digging her fingers in the lapels, pushing it down his arms and dropping it on the floor. She repeated the action with his shirt, then rested her hands against his chest, tracing over his scars like he had done hers, before he backed her up to the back of the caravan. He knees came short and she tumbled backwards onto the bed, pulling Ben down with her, on top of her, both of them smiling.

* * *

The caravan seemed a lot smaller in the morning that it had done the night before, but then again, his alcohol addled brain did have trouble with depth perception sometimes. He had no problems remembering the night before, amazing as it was. Danny was laying beside him, her back curving into him, her knees pulled up tightly to her chest and both her hands tucked under her head. She looked very small, and very lovely. His mind was yelling at him again, trying to convince him she was too young for him. At nineteen years of age, she was still six years younger than him, though she'd reached womanhood he looked at her sometimes and saw the naivety of a child, and he felt sick with himself.

Obviously physically and mentally she was as adult as the rest of them, her body alone told him she wasn't as young as she sometimes appeared, and he had to appreciate that, he thought to himself with a small grin. He looped an arm around her waist and for just a second she stiffened, but then her body relaxed and she pushed further back into his chest, smiling slightly in her half asleep state.

"Danny," he whispered, shaking her body slightly with his arm as he propped himself up on his free elbow. "Wake up sweetheart."

She mumbled something before pulling away, burying her face into the soft furs that just covered her body.

"No, don't keep sleeping. We need to get moving," he heaved himself up, rocking the small caravan and for a second he mused at what it looked like last night when they were going at it. Dismissing the thought with a chuckle, he shook his head and began pulling on his underwear, his long johns and thermal cotton vest. Danny stirred behind him and moaned as she pulled herself up, dressing herself in the cotton fabrics and furs she was given by Sabine. Within minutes they were heading out and met everyone else down in the small centre of town, nothing more than a fire pit and a few benches.

"Sabine, thank you for your hospitality," Ben said shaking the old man's hand warmly.

"Any time, any time, you folk are always welcome into the Dweller Tribe," he laughed, then added in a more hushed voice, "And some of your lads here might need to come and revisit some of our girls, just make sure they haven't got something coming to them down the line."

Ben nodded seriously, knowing full well that there was a chance at least one of his troops had knocked up a girl around here, and he didn't want them going to the same path he had years ago. They'd answer for their mistakes, or Skorm damn them they'd answer to him.

The trek back down the mountainside was a dangerous one, with parts of the road blocked by avalanche snow drifts, and other parts of the path missing as the mountainside corroded in the cold.

Each man made the jump across the small broken pathways, but that was something he'd have to get to King to address at a later date. Danny had no trouble leaping over the weaker parts of the road, climbing the trees quickly to look over the valley for potential enemies. Thankfully there were non, and they passed through safely enough.

The the snow started to gradually disappear, the air became warmer and they reached the cart at the bottom of the icy slope where they'd been forced to leave it, due to bad road conditions further into Mistpeaks.

The trees turned from snow topped and leafless to having a rainbow of colours cover them and the ground, falling, fluttering about the people as they made their ways back to Bowerstone. Winter was coming, and it would bring some of the hardest times for the people of Albion. Poverty, hunger, crime...

But in the dark recesses of Ben's mind he was more than slightly aware that what was to come after would be far worse, and winter would just be a sample of the horrendous times that were to come. The Darkness was on it's way to Albion, and nobody could stop it's progress, only kill the Crawler and it's spawn when it got there...


	61. Attacker On The Roof

Here's another chapter! Sorry it's been so long, been a bit obsessed with Rise of the Guardians as of late, and I've been fanfic-ing for it the past two weeks. My bad.

As always, enjoy!

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The gardens looked lovely in the golden colours of Autumn. The sunlight was dappled through the trees, casting a glow over the benches where she was sat quietly, eyes closed, taking in the serene atmosphere around her.

"Danny?"

She looked up and smiled at Logan, clad in his usual plain attire but with a thick fur coat atop his shirt to warm him. His black boots looked thicker and were probably fur lined as well. She'd taken to wearing the furs given to her by the Dwellers, and Logan had been so kind as to have them altered by the castles seamstress so they were more acclimated to Bowerstone. They didn't need to be as thick, and they'd been cleaned and smoothed down so they were extremely comfortable.

"You're here a lot, nowadays," he mused, sitting beside her and slouching in his seat. "I take it General Finn is away again?"

"Just for a few days," she said with a small smile. "But I don't like being in Industrial on my own. The people there hate me."

"I doubt that," he said, a hint of shock in his voice. "Have you ever done anything to make them hate you?"

"You don't need to in Industrial, they hate everyone."

He laughed then, loud and throaty, before standing again and offering his arm to her, which she took and walked with him. They wandered through the castle, chattering idly, until she saw Hobson scurry along a corridor, looking shifty and looking around to see if anybody in the otherwise vacant corridor was watching him. Then he caught sight of the two of them and scowled, but bowed low and said in his most slimy voice;

"Master Logan and Miss Danielle-"

"Danny," she corrected, and he ignored her anyway.

"-Danielle," he sneered. "I'm afraid you caught me at a most inopportune time, I must be going."

And with that he was away, trotting down the corridor.

"I don't like that man," Logan said with a scowl, before walking further down to his room, and instead of asking the maid on hand to pour them some tea he motioned for Danny to do it, watching carefully to make sure she didn't mess it up. She laughed at him for doing this, but was careful to make sure she didn't make any mistakes herself while doing it. She still didn't like tea, but had grown somewhat accustomed to the bitter taste of it and sipped at it happily enough while she spoke to Logan.

"Damien has been far more fair since our trip to Silverpines, and he's been finding more ways to raise awareness and money for the upcoming war."

"That's good," Danny said with a hint of a smile, having noticed herself how the atmosphere around the castle seemed calmer, and the servants seemed collectively more at ease.

"At one point, perhaps a year ago, I thought this was my Albion," Logan said, his voice hushed, his face solemn, his eyes staring blankly into his half empty cup of tea. "I knew the Darkness was coming, and I thought that if people revolted against me, if they overruled me, then I would have to watch the cities burn and the people die. As soon as Damien ran away with Walter and Jasper I knew I was wrong. I knew for a long time he had more potential as a ruler than I did, I accepted that much."

It was then he looked up at Danny, his eyes sad and his voice no more than a whisper when he spoke, though she could hear a tremble in his voice.

"I've made so many mistakes and done so many things I'll never be able to make up for in this lifetime. I try not to show this side often," he let out a small bitter chuckle, "I suppose I take after my mother, I'm weak at heart... Nobody else knows this, but as soon as this war ends – should we win of course – I'm leaving Bowerstone. I plan to head somewhere I'm not well known, if at all, and I will make a new start for myself."

There was silence, and slowly Danny put her cup down and folded her hands in her lap. She was speechless, momentarily, and to fill the quiet she parted her lips slightly, and took a breath.

"Where will you go?" she asked, trying to keep a straight face and appear apathetic.

"I... don't know yet. Samarkand, maybe."

"Where's that?" she asked too quickly, sitting forward. "Is it another town?"

"No, no," he laughed, "It's a country, farther away that Aurora is, and I doubt they know even of my tyranny there. I betrayed Aurora, I can't even go there."

"... Why so far?" now she couldn't keep the hint of sadness from her voice.

"I won't be accepted in a town in Albion, I'm hated in Aurora, so Samarkand is my only choice."

And for some reason she felt upset clutching at her throat. Tears welled in her eyes, and she swallowed back the lump forming in her throat. The thought of Logan leaving was just impossible to her. She knew she hated him only months ago, but since the revolution, since speaking against his execution and getting to know what he really was like, she felt so much closer to him. In her mind and her heart she'd accepted him as a brother, just like her brothers in her pack. He wasn't blood, but neither were they, but they treated her with love and respect and gave her so much that she didn't deserve in any way, shape or form.

"You can't leave..." she said quietly, and he looked at her in mild surprise.

"Why not?"

"Because you can't leave me here," she said, louder and considerably more fierce than she'd intended it to sound. "I don't belong here, and people don't like me. I can't stay here alone."

"General Finn is here," he said pointedly, but his voice was soft.

"Not all the time. He needs to sort things out in the army and he'll have to even after the war."

"Then come with me," Logan suggested suddenly, and she sat upright in shock, wondering how in the name of the Mother she could do that since she lived with Ben and she intended to keep it that way.

"Bring Ben, we'll all find somewhere new to live. If he needs to come to Bowerstone to do his job he can travel here and in the meantime we can keep one another company."

She was quiet again, thinking about it while she looked down at her hands in her lap, fingers twisting together tightly, and she stood abruptly, making a beeline for the door.

"I need to go Logan, I'm sorry."

* * *

She'd been sat on the roof of the loft, in a normal cotton shirt that belonged to Ben, and some plain cotton panties that he'd bought for her to try and get her more accustomed to normal life for people. She remembered with a smile that he had a hard enough time explaining to her which was around to put them on and how to do it, and how he turned beet red that time she threw them at him in a fit about how she hated the feel of them.

But her mind strayed back to the conversation she'd had with Logan two days previous, about how he'd wanted to leave Bowerstone, and how he would happily have her tag along so she could still have his company and he hers. He didn't object to Ben coming either, but it would depend on whether or not the blond would want to leave. She knew from his past that he had travelled a lot, but would he want to uproot his life again for her sake?

He hated Industrial as much as she did, and even looking down over the streets she could see people toiling in factories, children wandering aimlessly.

She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, holding them there, and in her deep thoughts about what to do she didn't notice someone climbing the ladder, then walk up behind her until their strong arms were wrapped around her body.

Before she could shriek, his hand was pressed over her mouth, and she froze in fear as his lips pressed against her neck. She could smell the alcohol on him, strong and disgusting, and she felt her stomach churn as he pulled her body closer to his.

"You're going to be quiet, and you're not going to tell anyone about this," he hissed into her ear, his voice coarse and cruel. Then there was a shout behind them both, and a resounding click, and the man dropped her.

Turning swiftly, she saw Ben knelt on the roof a short distance from them, his gun readied and pointed at her attacker who – though he appeared to be a bruiser of a man – backed off from her and held his hands up in surrender.

"I – I thought-" he started, but Ben didn't let him finish, shooting a round off at the man's feet, making him shriek and jump away in fright.

"I don't give a flying toss what you thought, I highly suggest you get off my roof, and away from my girl."

And the man did just that, fleeing without a second glance and descending the ladder in record speed for someone who was inebriated.

There was a silence lingering in the air after he stumbled off down the alley below and across the street, and Danny found herself staring at Ben, at a total loss for what to do. He seemed to be the same, and stood gawking at her before he shook himself and pointed below, the way the man had run.

"The bloody hell was that?" he asked, his voice now having lost the power and strength it had mere moments ago and now sounding hoarse and small.

"He came up here, I didn't know, and he grabbed me," she explained in a rush, standing shakily from where she'd been dumped on the floor.

He nodded slightly before sighing and scraping his fingers through his tangled mussed up hair. It was obvious he'd just got back from training the troops, as twigs, dirt and Avo knew what else was stuck to his clothing or matted in his hair, he saw her looking at him with a bemused expression plastered across her face and he guessed right away what it was she found so amusing.

"I'll go shave, then we'll... we'll look into moving."


	62. Shaving

ShortOne33, I actually love you. My persistant wee reviewer :) This chapter is for you

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Seeing that prick holding her like he was, the fact that he'd just been so able to get up their and manhandle her while he was away, it infuriated him.

And he was drunk! What if he'd been sober and more determined to have his way with her? His blood boiled as lewd thoughts coursed through his mind, his fingers tightening dangerously on the handle of his razor blade as images followed the thoughts and bile rose from his stomach. It was only when a hand gently touched his shoulder, softer than a breeze, that he felt some calm restored to him.

And looking slightly into her deep green eyes, glittering in the slight light of the room did he feel like she had some understanding of what he thought and felt, as if she knew what he was thinking before he voiced it. Mind, he was shaking and given what had just happened it couldn't be all that hard to tell.

She didn't have to say a word, she just nuzzled her face into his arm, clutching it there against her and breathing softly.

Ben felt his body relax, his joints and muscles that had been so tense not moments before eased and he kissed her atop her head. Continuing shaving so not to leave himself with only half a beard, he smiled slightly, remembering the time when he first joined the Royal Albion Army under Swifty's command, and for a dare and a hundred gold total in bets from the other men, he'd very carefully cut one half of his impressive moustache off. He'd received a right Royal Albion Army bollocking the next morning. The lads had all laughed as a half moustachioed man beat the shit out of him, but he was a hundred gold up at the very least, and still had the brass balls to grin widely at the Major, who regarded him wearily before pulling him to his feet and clapping him on the back, telling him the least he could do was lend him a shaving kit so he could finish the job and then go and buy him a pint.

Ben couldn't help but respect a man who could beat ten shades of shit out of you then demand a pint in the most civil of manners. Swift had become such a huge part of his life after that. Like the father he'd never really gotten chance to spend time with as a child. He got up to all kinds of mischief when he first began in the Swift Brigade, but Swift had always set him back on the right path.

And these thoughts of his past lead him back further, to when he lived in Gunk, a teen running riot with his brothers, laughing and beating one another up, getting drunk then joining together and beating other lads up from other families, before asking them in for a pint and laughing while comparing bruises and black eyes.

It wasn't a perfect existence. The lack of gold was hard on his parents and his brothers had been in and out of the local bobby house far too many times. The constable back then had looked at him with a mix of pride and suspicion, as if happy he hadn't turned out like his brothers, but considering he might yet fuck up.

And then there was her. Fiona. The girl he'd 'loved' way back when, with her curly black hair and chocolate brown eyes. He'd spent years fawning over her, doting on her, doing her bidding and running himself ragged trying to busk enough money to help his parents and treat her to some of the finer things Gunk had to offer. He did eventually break things off with her, but it took his brothers' deaths and his fleeing from Gunk to do that. Last he heard of her, from a young sailor on the ports of Bowerstone, she was a single mother to five, the eldest was most likely his, and she was a whore.

He wanted to go and take what could potentially be his child out of that living hell, but thinking he hadn't been a part of their life for so many years, and the fact that Fiona would throw a fit if he turned up on the doorstep questioning her children's paternity. It would also be difficult to explain to Danny. As painful as it was for him to think that there could be dozens of little Finn's out there, he accepted grimly that that was his past and he couldn't do much to change it. Should they win the war, should he and Danny live happily and should he get that raise he so deserved, he would revisit each and every town and city he had sewn his wild oats in and give each woman as much money as he could carry. He'd saved a fair pile of gold in his years working various credible and unsavoury jobs, and he'd stashed it away, so he knew he could give enough to keep those poor women and their children enough to live on for a fair few years.

And he glanced down at Danny, who was watching him carefully. And he wondered how long it would be, perhaps if ever, before he hurt her the same way. He'd already uprooted her life thus far, but what would he do with himself if he properly cocked it up?

"You're worried," she said with a slight yawn.

"Just wondering about my past," he said quietly, smoothing shaving cream over his chin, before pulling his razor across over it and scraping it off again, with a clump of hair.

And he continued this process, listening to Danny's quiet breathing as she considered him, waiting for her to reply. But she didn't, she just wandered away and pushed at the hatch. She stopped then, looking back at him.

"If we leave Bowerstone, where would we go?"

Ben looked up, half his face shaven, little cuts littering his chin, his mouth agape. Then he smiled slightly.

"You liked Mistpeaks didn't you?" he asked, and Danny nodded her head. "There's a town up there, not far from the Dwellers, called Brightwall. There's a small house outside the town walls – a bit run down though - and if I could fix it up, we could live there. There's space to run, trees to climb, and you could easily visit Sabine, if you wanted to."

And then she asked a question that startled him.

"Would Logan be able to come?"

Ben didn't know what it was. If it was just the fact that he was an extremely jealous and possessive man, or if his past problems with the old King hadn't quite been resolved, but Danny's friendship with the man made him angry, and he wanted to take her and keep her away from him at all costs. He knew it was just friendship, two people who understood what it was like to be outsiders and forged a strong friendship through it. But he still didn't like the idea of Logan coming too.

Telling her otherwise would be a mistake though, which he recognised and knew, and quickly altered his facial expression from one of loathing and anger to one of mild surprise and hopefully a hint of happiness.

"I'd be happy for you to, he'd give you some company," he started, looking back to his mirror and curving the razor across his skin again. "But wouldn't he be happier here in Bowerstone, in the castle."

"No, he said he wants to leave Bowerstone, start fresh somewhere else."

"He'll have a hard enough time in Albion," Ben muttered, "he's not very well liked."

"I like him, and I don't want him to leave."

He bristled slightly at this, humming in annoyance. She ignored him and departed, skirting down the ladders to the city below.


	63. Pistols And Swords

So, due to lack of general interest in the Fable archive any more, I'm just going to blast out chapters at one a day from now on :)

Reviews are obviously always welcome, and very much appreciated.

Thanks

* * *

As winter drew in Danny found herself spending more and more time in Industrial. She brought Logan along with her too. They spent days upon days helping in the orphanage, the school set up in one of the old factories and making soup in the castle kitchens then taking it around in a large pot with other servants and would feed the homeless, passing out threadbare blankets in hopes that it will provide even a little extra warmth to the poor.

It was when they were feeding some of the children at the school when Danny felt a pair of eyes on her, and she looked up into the acidic eyes of Reaver.

"Why, hello there my darlings!" he cheered, leaping down from the platform above and landing with deft precision barely a step in front of her. "Feeding the wee ones are we?"

Danny stared up at him coldly. He towered above her, above any man she knew for that matter. He was dressed warmly, looked extremely smug, and was brass enough to take a bowl from Logan's hands and sip at the soup.

"I've had better, but these scroats should appreciate the scraps from the castle."

"Don't talk about them that way, Reaver,"Logan said coolly, while Danny seethed silently. The man ignored the royal, instead keeping his gaze fixed on Danny.

"Are you scared, my dear?" he asked, his words coated with loathing. He hated her for some reason.

"Of you? No, I'm not," she spat.

"Oh-ho, I don't mean of me my love, I mean of this upcoming Darkness. The monster that plagues your dreams and haunts your every waking thought. The being you know you'll lose against, in some deep, dark recess of your mind."

She paused, biting the inside of her cheek wondering how he knew so much about her mind, but then accepting that this feeling of fear, of absolute denial of the possible ending of Albion was on everyone's minds. She wondered for a second if he felt the same, felt death and destruction clutching at his throat too. So she nodded slowly, allowing everyone on the old factory floor to see her.

"Aren't you?" she asked quietly, and the cocky glint in his eyes disappeared and his lips dropped from their curved smile to a deep frown.

"It would make my being a little difficult, but I have a small pact with beings of Darkness, so I doubt one other would make a difference."

"You live off other people," Danny noted, looking about the cold factory and at all the soot stained faces of adults and teens who had slaved away working for him. "How would you do that if every being in Albion is dead?"

And she watched as something snapped within the cold man, his eyes glinted cruelly, flashing wildly as his hand whipped around and before anyone had chance to register anything, Danny had been shoved into the cold brick wall, with a pistol pressed against her neck. Reaver had his body pushed flush against her, his shoulders hunched and his cheek pressed against hers, his lips next to her ear so she could hear his rasping breath.

"How did you find out?" he hissed, and she could feel his hot breath blast her ear and cries from onlookers started around them, Logan starting forwards, the metallic hiss of him unsheathing his sword echoed around the large room, until Danny regained some of her senses.

"Stop!" she cried, grabbing hold of Reavers wrist and keeping the gun pressed firmly to her neck, stopping him from reeling and shooting her companion. "Stop," she said again, much more quietly, pressing her lips to Reaver's ear and taking a shuddering breath.

"I think you took that the wrong way," she informed him, "I meant you make money from the people working for you. I don't know what else you involve yourself in, but I did not mean that, whatever it is."

The moment seemed to hang in the air for an eternity, his body unmoving against hers, Danny herself staying still as he was, barely even moving to breathe. And slowly he retracted the pistol from her neck, and replaced it inside the holster on his hip, covering it with his long coat before slowly, painfully slowly, taking a step back from her, just enough so there was a small gap between them.

There was no emotion in his eyes, and Danny tried to look as apathetic to the situation as possible as he considered her. And she in turn considered him.

He looked old, in that second, far older than he appeared. The weight of so many lifetimes seemed to weigh upon him, the burden of so many lives added atop that made him look very tired, and very weak. He was, in her eyes, a man who hid behind the façade of a cruel mogul who wielded a gun to scare people. Whose towering form was but years away from crumbling, and whose eyes showed her that he, the infamously cruel Reaver, was almost ready to accept that. Almost, but not yet.

And the look he gave her told her he knew that himself, knew she could read him with some surprising animalistic intuition, and he parted his lips ever so slightly and said in a small voice, twisted with venom but barely above a whisper.

"For my own reasons, I will fight this war. I will win. And you would do best to keep your cute button nose out of my affairs."

And with a smirk, and a flourish of his coat, Reaver left, taking long powerful strides that gave the air of a man who could likely murder someone, and likely would once all backs were turned.

She'd stay out of his affairs, but some part of her hoped dearly that whatever Darkness he had immersed himself in would not prove to be too potent once the Crawler came. Reaver would be a powerful ally, though he would surely deny his involvement.

Remembering looking into those eyes, almost dead, devoid of emotion, she saw the Darkness, and bit her lip, watching his coat whip out of sight around the heavy oak doors, not knowing that encounter wouldn't be her last with Reaver.


	64. Plans

ShortOne33, this story is more or less for you now xD

I'm posting up to chapter 70 today. Enjoy all :)

* * *

It was on one particularly snowy day, when all the children at the orphanage had to stay in lest one of them get buried in a snow drift when Danny saw the little girl, sat in a corner of the room looking at her with sorrow in her eyes.

It was only now that Danny could properly look at her, whereas the two instances before had been interrupted because of a revolution or the appearance of bullying town guards. The girl had honey coloured hair, a delicate mix of brown and blond in straight straggly wisps over her face. Her eyes were large and, most strikingly, an amber gold colour. It reminded Danny about home, and she strode over to the child without an ounce of hesitation. Scooping the child into her arms, she felt something strange in the pit of her stomach and looked at the girl who stayed quiet all the while.

"What was your father?" Danny asked, the question seeming strange to Logan who'd followed her across the room and was watching the two. It showed on his face, his brow furrowing and his mouth curving downwards in confusion.

"I was told not to say," the girl whispered, casting her golden eyes down, twisting her fingers together and pulling them apart repeatedly, gaining speed, and also agitation.

"You can tell me," Danny assured her, pressing her back to the wall and sliding down it slowly, the girl ending up in her lap looking up at her own green eyes sceptically.

"He was a white one, like your friends," she whispered. "He was a man my mummy fell in love with a long time ago, and he loved her too. But he got bitted by a Balverine and he turned into one too. But my mummy got pregnant with me on the last night she saw him, and he's not been back since. I think he's died, a lot of Balverines were killed in the last few years."

"Maybe he's not," she tried to convince the child, but even herself she knew it was unlikely. From her knowledge there were two major Balverine packs in Albion. Hers in Silverpines, and the one in Mistpeaks. If there was a white Balverine it would most certainly join one of the two to gain more power. It was a survival technique.

"No, he is, I know it. I only got his eyes though, my mum always told me I had his eyes, but I don't change into one or anything. He was still more person than Balverine."

"It wouldn't matter if you did," Danny shushed her, watching as tears sprang to the poor girl's eyes as she recalled as much information as she could about her dead parents. "You'd still be absolutely lovely."

At this the crying child choked out a small laugh, gave Danny a small smile and wiped the tears from her eyes. Logan was still watching quietly, until the girl turned to him.

"Why are you here sir?" she asked ever so innocently, though there was a hint of malice there, "My mummy said you were a selfish man and a cad for hurting so many people like you did."

"I was," Logan conceded with a small smirk. "But I'm trying to be better behaved now."

The girl nodded, giving him a sweeping look before smiling and holding her hand out to him. Logan accepted it, shaking it gently while she smiled brightly up at him.

"My name is Hannah," she said, standing up slowly and stretching.

"Well, Hannah, we'll see about getting you out of here at some point," Logan assured her, his smile broadening as hers did, before she got up, excused herself politely, and ran off to join her friends on the other side of the room before they ran away screaming in play.

"It's a small world isn't it?" Logan mused, as they watched the child leave the room, her golden eyes flashing while her hair streamed like ribbons behind her.

"I didn't think there'd ever be one like her," Danny explained, standing and brushing the dirt from her clothes. "White Balverines don't usually mate outside of the pack they establish themselves in, so children like her aren't usually... in existence."

"This coming from the girl who grew up with Balverines, and whose – if I'm not mistaken – father is also a Balverine of considerable power within that pack."

She laughed, turning to give him a small shove but she nodded her head in agreement.

"I suppose stranger things have happened."

* * *

The flat was absolutely freezing, and he was exhausting himself climbing up and down the ladder to bring in more firewood. If he didn't they'd freeze their extremities off though, and he was rather attached to his.

He heard something outside and looked up quickly, drawing his coat tightly around himself as the hatch opened slowly and a face poked in. It was Danny, and she was grinning at him before tossing him a length of rope.

"Pull that when I tell you," she told him, turning and looking over the ledge and shouting to whoever was there below; "Is it tied up properly?"

There was a muffled response from the person on the ground, but it was enough for Danny to rush back and grab the rope, telling him to heave the load up and together they pulled up the rest of the logs that had been placed in a net, closely followed by Logan himself, who smiled politely at Ben.

"Danny invited me up for some tea, if that's not too much trouble?" he enquired, and Ben nodded mutely, turning and throwing the logs to the other side of the room unceremoniously. It vexed him that Logan had come in, even though he'd allowed it. It was only to please Danny, and he watched out of the corner of his eye as she chatted happily to him, discussing the day they'd had and talking happily about wanting to move.

"Ben said we might be able to go to Brightwall," she chirped, looking over at him expantantly.

"Yeah," he agreed, his voice staying flat as he heaved another log over his shoulder and carried it across the room, dropping it on the ever growing pile. "I reckon she'd like it there," he added, addressing Logan this time, turning to see him nodding in agreement.

"They're nice people there, and there's a lot of woodland she'd like."

"Exactly my thought," he groaned, as he slumped down into his armchair and happily accepted the cup of tea that Danny offered him, and was pleasantly surprised when she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

And she sat beside him on a stool, Logan taking the other armchair (though he did offer it to Danny, she declined) and they all talked about where they would like to live, Ben suggesting to Logan some of the lesser populated areas of Albion he'd frequented in his years, the more hospitable areas he thought the royal would like, the places where he could live in complete solidarity in the countryside, safe but rather lonely. He got the picture instantly that Danny and Logan didn't really want to be separated, and their likewise amiable personalities, their sudden ferocity when provoked, and the somewhat calculated calm they had in stressful situations made them alike in so many ways. He understood their friendship, their need to be near one another to be able to talk and vent and bitch about the people who made their lives hell that week while having an otherwise normal conversation with someone they felt comfortable with.

Ben understood that need, having felt it himself from time to time. For years he had preferred to be a loner, and it took the clumsy but lovable oaf Jammy to make him as loud and boisterous as he was now.

He listened intently as they talked about the children at the orphanage and how they were holding up, about one girl in particular, Hannah – the very same girl Danny had rescued in the Old Quarter – who as it turned out was the daughter of a White Balverine.

It made him laugh out loud, grinning broadly as Danny recounted the conversation with some help from Logan and told him how she'd recognised the eyes that only Balverines had. How they'd talked quietly and Danny had seemed so sure and confident in her words, offering some kind condolence and compliments to the child while comforting her.

"You need to hold on to this one, Ben," Logan said quietly while Danny went to carefully stoke the fire. "I know a lot of men would have her if they could." Ben felt himself scowl slightly, ignoring the mildly surprised expression on the older man's face as he did so.

"You, for example?" he hissed, narrowing his startlingly blue eyes.

"No," replied Logan, his own dark eyes wide and confused. "No, I see her as a sister, nothing more. She's a great friend to have and I probably couldn't find a better one, considering all the things she's forgiven me for. I mean other men. They see her as something exotic and unattainable, which only makes them want her more. You'll want to keep a good eye on her, and don't drive her away... it wouldn't be for the best."

Ben nodded at this, accepting the advice he was being given by this man that seemed wiser beyond his years. It was strange that mere months ago he was calling to have the bastards head cut off, or have him shot down. He had wanted him dead not too long ago, but now was sat drinking tea with him and talking about the best way to keep Danny by his side and out of danger.

"I need to go however," Logan said with a soft sigh, heaving himself up and accepting a large embrace from Danny, who'd hopped over to bid him goodbye. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

"Okay," she mumbled, looking displeased. It was like she was a child and he was reprimanding her.

He shook hands with Ben, one curt nod was all that needed for them to know they had struck a companionship themselves with one common interest; keeping Danny safe.

And that night, as Danny slept curled up beside him, as he listened to her gentle breathing he thought to himself about the events of the previous few days. How Danny had been attacked not only by the drunkard who'd climbed up onto the roof, but also almost shot by Reaver (whom he vowed to kill next time he saw the slimy whelk) because of a misunderstanding, and then the realisation that Danny was not the only one of humankind who had been influenced by Balverines throughout their growth, their childhood and their lives, and there were more that felt like outcasts because of their affiliations with the beasts.

He had always lived on the outskirts of society, choosing solitary and hidden places to reside in which made it only easier to leave and move on to the next place. Suddenly the need to be alone had dissipated and he accepted this girl into his life, only to realise that he needed to move on again; this time with her by his side to make sure she was safe.

He knew it was something he'd have to do, and decided to put plans into progress as soon as humanly possible.

* * *

Not a week had gone by and Ben had, through Logan and the help of the old butler Jasper, purchased the run down hovel on the outskirts of Brightwall, tucked away in a safe and quiet corner. He'd arranged for some freelance builders to go and start building on it, fixing it up so it had two fair sized bedrooms in it, with a large warm kitchen and a cosy living room. He'd asked them to put up a decent fence around the property, along the drop line of the cliffs meters from the front door. He didn't fancy falling off there if he went and got himself drunk one night.

And though a sizeable amount of money had been taken from his funds and savings, he didn't much mind all that much, considering he still had a fair bit left and was still waiting on that raise promised to him by Damien.

It surprised him then, that not days before their move to Brightwall, he was called into the castle and told to wait for Damien in the map room.

"Walter, why do I need to be here?" he asked, slouching in the chair he'd seated himself in.

"Just be quiet Ben, listen to the King."

Looking up he saw Damien enter the room, looking tired and uneasy, biting his lip as he took a seat in the chair across from him.

"There's something we need to talk about, General," he sighed, running his fingers through his messy hair. "Something has happened in Silverpines."

Sitting forward, a look of sincere concern upon his face, Ben opened his mouth to question the King, but stopped as the other man raised his hand, the gauntlet wrapped around his hand glittering with some ethereal aura as he moved it about. Ben knew the power the King had, the ability to command will with his fingertips. He felt a little more uneasy as he eyed the gauntlets, but Damien lowered them again.

"Rumour has it that a white Balverine made it's way down from Mistpeaks and is terrorising the people in Silverpines. It has most of the Balverines on it's side and apparently from word I got from Genevieve the alpha male was really badly injured."

"Shit," Ben muttered, knowing Danny would be devastated if she knew what was happening to her pack.

"The white Balverine has also taken a rare item from a home in Millfields, one that a woman was going to donate to provide money for the upcoming war. It's a statue of a Balverine, a very rare material was used, and rarer jewels encrusted within it. We need that, General, which is why we need to get into that pack and kill the new alpha."

"We need to make sure the other alpha is okay, to make sure he's not dead," Ben pushed, noticing he sounded indignant and upset. It was more for Danny's sake, she'd grown up with a Balverine that had been her father, the village her birth mother lived in was being terrorised and Ben didn't think she could take any more loss, no matter how close she was to the individual. And the fact that this was happening so close to home too would really hurt her.

"We'll do our best Ben," Damien said, sounding a little saddened. "I don't want this to hurt Danny either, but we need to sort it out otherwise it's going to get out of hand. And she can't know what's happening, otherwise it's going to be hard to fix this mess."

Ben nodded grimly, talking quietly to Damien and Walter as they put together a plan of action to fight back against the Balverine. It made them feel awkward at the prospect of killing beasts that are considered family by someone close to them, but there was nothing they could do to help it. It would probably ruin the alias – which they both knew – but in this instance it was kill or be killed, and neither man was above that.

It would just depend on how they broke the news to Danny afterwards that would make the difference. If she took it well, didn't get so upset or angry, and could talk the Balverines around again, the alias would probably stick. If she got angry and left though, they were a hundred or more fighters down on their side, which would make it harder to take down the Crawler and it's children.


	65. White Balverine

Chapter 65, only... 20 to go. Wow xD

* * *

The forest seemed too cold, too quiet and too dark for his liking. Having frequented Silverpines a few times over the last year he'd grown accustomed to the smell of damp 'green' and the dappled light shining from above. There weren't even any cries from a Balverine, which is what set Ben on edge most, as he felt like there were hundreds of eyes watching them.

"This isn't right..." he murmured, turning to look down the path they'd just walked on, only to see a pair of golden eyes gleaming back at him. His heart thudded to a halt, and the world seemed to stop turning on it's axis for that moment, the stare between the two seemed unbreakable and the air chilled instantly, almost so his bones shivered.

Yet there was no reply from Damien, and Ben turned rapidly to see that his King was no longer there, instead stood a man with a hunched back, rotting teeth and seemingly glowing eyes. Before he knew what was happening the man was gone and in his place stood a ghostly white beast, twice the size of a normal Balverine, twice as terrifying, and before Ben could cry out for help the beast had it's oversized misshapen hand around his throat, so only a strangled gurgle escaped him.

They were away into the darkness before he could tell what was happening, and through lack of oxygen he blacked out.

when he woke up he was tied to a pillar of stone, blood pouring from a deep cut in his chest where something had scratched him, his shirt torn away to expose his chest while the hot liquid oozed out from the wound and made red tracks down his body.

It didn't take long for one of the Balverines to cut his hands loose with a swift slash of it's claws, and when he saw the hunched man make his way out in front of him he made a beeline for him, swinging his fist around and smiling in self satisfaction as it connected with the others' jaw, a sickening crunch ensuing.

But then three of the others were on him, clawing at him, crashing into his side so roughly that he felt his side crack and he gasped as he gave under the pressure, collapsing to his knees.

Ben was physically trembling as the man stood before him, his eyes wild and golden, his hair unkempt and matted, limbs bruised from the continuous changes between Balverine and human forms so he looked like he'd been in a fight. However when comparing the bruises to his bleeding wounds and bodily injuries, the blond knew he'd come off worse with this one, feeling his broken ribs with each shuddering breath and the blood streaming from his nose made it blatantly obvious that it was broken.

"You're a weak young man," the older man chuckled, chiding him. Ben felt his blood boil at the sight of that sneer and lunged at him, only to be knocked aside by one of his bodyguards. It was Ika, who looked ashamed of himself, tail between legs like a dog that was being punished, and the other he wasn't familiar with but as it whimpered he knew that it was part of the pack and recognised him.

"And temperamental too," he laughed louder, darker, and then his face twisted cruelly, "you really thought you alone could stop a White Balverine? Could stop me from taking over this pitiful town? How very naïve of you."

Ben huffed and pushed himself shakily onto his knees. He's been in worse fights before now, broken more bones, and he tossed his hair back from his face with a shake of his head with a defiant look. Knowing now he was likely to die, he began to think of the best ways to go out fighting. He had no idea where Damien was and non of this was going to plan, but he fully intended to hit this new freak in the face before he was gutted, torn limb from limb or transformed into one of them. He didn't know which prospect he liked the least. He didn't want to die, not at all, despite his demise being apparently imminent. But becoming a Balverine, knowing he couldn't have Danny after that, it made his chest clutch at itself and his breath hitched, his body relaxed slightly as he thought of the beautiful woman he'd tricked into going to Brightwall without him.

_"Danny, I only have a few more troops to train and then we'll be able to move in properly, but you might as well get started," he tried to explain, while she looked at him sourly._

_"I don't know what I'm doing though, Ben!" she cried, throwing her arms up in exasperation, and while he almost made a joke about it being her time of month he didn't know how she'd take it, so bit his tongue and let her rant on for a few moments before he could get a word in edgeways._

_"I- I- Danny shut up! I know you have no clue what you're doing, which is why Logan is coming with you."_

_And he almost laughed as she stopped her movement, halted her rant and looked over his shoulder to see her friend stood in the doorway beaming at her._

_He helped them pack things up, shoeing her how to safely pack the crockery into a crate, helping her lift the mattresses and folding sheets. He saw the two of them and the cart off down the road with a convoy of soldiers to keep them safe before he rushed up to the castle and discussed with Damien what the plan would be for taking out the intruder to the Balverine pack in Silverpines._

There was a gunshot resound around the glade, and Ben snapped his head up to see Damien pointing his gun at the man, who was crying out in pain and anger, clutching his shoulder. Realising a second too late that the bullet was silver, he watched as the man transformed painfully into the White Balverine, towering before him and blocking his path. The other Balverines scarpered while Ben stood there, dazed. Then something almighty sharp crashing into him, knocking the wind out of him and knocking him down to the floor. There were more gunshots, but from what he could tell Damien was missing.

The Balverine above him grabbed hold of his waist, hoisted him up like a rag doll and tossed him over it's shoulder. And away they flew, through the trees and down into the village, where the gust of wind from the huge creature landing blew the closest silver torches out. Ben felt his face connect with the cold ground for a second as the Balverine threw out it's arms, dropping him and roaring at the people stood nearest. Then a louder shot cracked like thunder around the houses, and he was pulled up again.

He was being used as a human shield, and he was having non of that bullshit.

So facing Damien, who was pointing the gun with deft precision, he forced his foot down hard, stamping on the foot of the Balverine which then let him go with an angry snarl. He propelled himself backwards away from the angry beast that was bearing down on him, claws extended and intent on ripping him open.

"Shoot it Damien!" he yelled, backing into a wall and not being able to go further.

But Damien stood there, the length of the gun lowering slightly as he watched, his brow knot tightly as if he was thinking about something. But Ben was seconds from death and could almost feel every instant of his life flashing before him.

"What are you doing?! Shoot!" he cried, feeling the hot breath from the Balverine blast him in the face, feeling those razor sharp claws dig into his abdomen, and then there was another loud shot, and the beast toppled over sideways, dead as a doornail, still looking as if it were about to kill Ben there and then where he sat.

Glancing up he saw Damien trembling not a long distance away, dropping his gun and staring in horror at his own hands.

"I... I thought you were going to leave me for dead," Ben choked, wiping tears furiously from his face which had sprung to his eyes the second he realised how close he came to dying. He stared at Damien, who looked up from his hands and dropped them helplessly into his lap and stared back, his mouth agape, his eyes unblinking before he took a deep shuddering breath, his dark brown eyes closing tightly for a second before he looked back into Ben's own blue ones and admitting quietly;

"I thought I was too..."

Ben felt his stomach plummet, not thinking before he rolled over and wretched all over the ground, vomit ejecting itself from him as a feeling of complete sickness rolled over him.

He felt arms around him, and he was being carried inside a house and a woman with a kindly face a bright green eyes tended his wound, patching him up as best she could with all she had at her disposal, placing a wet cloth upon his head she hushed him and eased him to sleep. Genevieve pottered about the house making various things to help him heal, and he closed his eyes, thoughts of Damien about to let him die flooded into his mind, and he fell off into a very uneasy slumber.


	66. Would You Leave Me To Die?

Chapter 66, just another 4 until I reach my daily quota

* * *

Danny awoke to feel the carriage she was in trundling down the mountainside, bumping over the stones and shifting her jerkily from side to side. It was a wonder she'd managed any sleep that night, and rubbed the grains of sticky sleep out of her eyes, blinking and yawning widely as she gazed about her surroundings. The inside of the carriage was very plain, simply a wooden crate large enough for six passengers, with cushioned seats front and back and two doors either side. Logan was opposite her, his eyes open but glassy, as if he were half asleep himself. He mumbled a greeting to her, before turning on his seat and falling back to sleep again.

Stretching her arms up she pulled at her muscles and waited until she heard a crack from her back, and the satisfying relief that came with it. She took then to moving to the window set into the door and peered out over the valleys and gazing up to the peaks in the distance.

The sun was making it's way over the horizon, it's golden glow brightening the dark sky that attempted to shroud it, the dark turning into various shades of purple, blue, pink, orange red and gold. Clouds reflected the colours, making the sky look a picture itself. She smiled at the beauty of it, looking around carefully to see the soldiers still with them, riding carefully up along the steep slope, making sure the cart wasn't getting caught by the rocks in the road and making sure the carriage made a steady accent up the climb.

"We should be there soon," Logan yawned, his eyes still closed fast and his body hunched in the corner of the carriage, huddled into the cushions and blankets for warmth. "You should have warned me how cold it would be though," he huffed, opening his eyes to glare at her.

"I thought as the previous King you would have known how cold your lands would be in winter," Danny replied quickly, with a small smirk, to which he laughed aloud at.

"If you're not careful I'll have you thrown off the side of that ridge young miss," he joked, sitting up and rubbing the side of his face which he'd had resting against the cold wood. "I still have enough power to have people do that, you know?"

"They wouldn't listen to you, they'd have to make sure with Damien that you could first, he told me to come up here for Ben to get things ready."

"I'll do it myself then," he retorted, stretching and yawning loudly, his mouth wide and his eyes shut tight.

"As if you could catch me," she laughed, smiling at him, and he beamed back. It really was is if he was a brother to her, the way they teased one another, they way he was so protective and the ways he always tried to make her smile.

"That's true, I'm too tired anyway," he said as he leaned back and looked at her. "What did Ben say about you coming up her before him?"

"He wanted me too, he said he had some training to do before he came but it'd be a good way for me to settle down."

"And I suppose you could gain some independence from this," Logan smiled, to which she nodded her head and took to looking back out of the window. In her mind, something was whispering to her telling her something dreadful was happening. Ben had pushed very hard to get her to set off without him, when little but a week before he'd been ecstatic about going together and setting up ready for their first night in a new home. She understood that he needed to train the troops ready for the Darkness coming but the fact that he didn't know until such short notice made her think something else was up.

She'd even tried to ply Logan for information, but he'd firmly stood by the story she'd already been told, but something in the depths of his dark eyes made her believe otherwise, and it made her stomach twist in fear of what could be happening.

She dozed off again afterwards though, her fatigue forcing the worry from her and easing her into a blissful dreamless sleep, only to be roused hours later by Logan who shook her awake gently with a smile on his face. She climbed out of the cart after him, shielding her eyes from the blinding rays of the sun and squinting to see a town in front of her, in perhaps the most perplexing of places.

Looking over a bridge, which was crumbling with large chunks of stone missing from all sides, was a town situated on a large wide hill. The valleys below showed her the front of the town seemed to reside on was actually a huge mound of dirt and stone, whereas the back of the town from what she could see rose up with the mound, merging with the valleys and forming a protective hug stance against any outsiders. The walls around the town – she supposed were for the people's safety more than anything else, were crumbling too, but part of her suspected that they were still fairly strong and would keep most enemies out. The most striking thing about the place was not the precarious location or the derelict sense about it, but instead the large structure to the back of the town.

A huge building, at least twice the size of Bowerstone castle, cast a shadow over the town. It didn't appear to be a grand place, nor did it offer her any sense of reluctance to approach. Instead she sensed that it was warm, welcoming... and the shadow over the town appeared to her not to be sinister, but instead protective.

"Ben arranged for some people to sort all your belongings out, so we can have a look around the town and you can get used to it okay?"

She nodded her consent and they proceeded forwards, carefully walking over the old bridge to get to the main gates and go through to see the whole of the town.

* * *

Ben woke in a cold sweat, gripping the sheet beneath him as he recalled the nightmare he'd been having only moments before. It was as if it were playing itself again in his minds eye, the White Balverine approaching him, bearing down on him menacingly before it struck out and it's claws pierced his stomach, ripping his vitals from him and as he lay there, bleeding to death, Damien stood back and watched, a look of triumph on his face as the Balverine went in again, slitting his throat and watching him gurgle in his own blood before dying.

He called out, in horror, and was angered to see Damien burst through the door, looking worried.

"Get the fuck out!" Ben cried, hitting out as Damien rushed to his bedside, ignoring the stabbing pain in his side and the dull ache in his chest. "Get out or I'll kill you!"

"Ben-" Damien tried to reason, but then tried dodge another well aimed swing of the bedridden man, not being quick enough and feeling the full weight of it as it connected with his jaw.

"I said fuck off!" The blond yelled, causing Genevieve to rush into the room, looking startled and quite frankly scared out of her wits.

"Ben! Stop being stupid and let me talk to you!" the King cried, taking a precautionary step backwards and holding his hands up, as if surrendering. Bet Ben was having non of it, swinging his legs out of bed and staggering to his feet, huffing as his side tore at him, wincing in pain and anger but taking another step towards the brunette.

"You were going to let that thing gut me!" he cried accusingly. "You were about to drop your gun and leave it to kill me, let it tear my throat out or something! You knew I couldn't fight back, you know I was injured and you were going to leave me to die!"

"I know I was!" Damien yelled, now just as angry at having the blond's finger pointed at his face. "But I changed my mind!"

"You shouldn't have even considered that an option," Ben yelled louder, starting forward and pinning the King against the wall by his throat, his other hand flying to pull the gun from Damien's holster, pointing the barrel at the others neck, keeping him firmly in place and too worried to move. He knew the other still had will to use, but if he so much as moved Ben would blow his brains out. "Why?" he hissed, looking the other man dead in the eye, staring him down.

But the King said nothing, staring back with a steely expression on his face. Ben could feel his finger twitching on the trigger, feel his anger building up, and was more than aware that Genevieve was still in the room. He wanted to kill Damien, but he didn't want to scar this woman.

"Why?!" he yelled, pulling the hammer back on the pistol and pushing farther into Damien's neck.

"Because I wanted to see you dead!" Damien yelled back, spit flying from his mouth into Ben's face. "I've hated you since I saw you pining over Danny! Why would she want to be with the scum of the Earth? A man who's fathered more children than he can count? A man who turns to the bottle every time something fucks up in his life? Do you think she loves you, or does she love what you've done for her?"

Ben stared on silently, his words crashing over him like a tidal wave.

"You've kept her safe and happy and you've treated her nicely. But you've led her into danger more times than I can keep track of. She'd been attacked by Hollow men, shot in a rebellion, almost raped from what Logan told me... you killed her pack when you first came here to Silverpines. Do you think she actually loves you for that? Do you think she's forgotten all the pain you've put her through this past year?"

Ben shoved him away, dropped the pistol on the floor and pointed a shaky hand to the door beside Genevieve.

"Get out," he hissed. "Just get out."

And Damien did, he stopped and swiftly scooped up his pistol, before heading for the door, brushing past Genevieve and leaving. Ben stood there shaking, anger pouring from him, still seething as Genevieve put him back to bed, begging him to lie down and rest just another day and then he could go and find Danny.

"Do you think she hates me?" he asked quietly, later in the day as she brought him some broth to try and bring him some more strength.

"I wouldn't know, Ben," Gen said softly, cleaning his wounds and reapplying clean bandages. "You love her though, and she's stayed with you through everything that's happened... she must love you."

"Are you sure?" he whispered through grit teeth, turning his head away from her as she dabbed at the cut skin on his abdomen.

"Ben, she's a strong young woman and loyal too. She wouldn't have stayed with you for so long if she didn't want to," Gen said softly, and he could almost hear the smile in her voice.

"I suppose so," he said, though he didn't feel any more at ease. "How's the alpha? Your, um... your husband...?"

"He's fine," she said gently, reapplying gauze and wrapping him up. "He managed to get away and went into hiding. The other Balverines from what we could tell were going to him in secret and they were forming some plan to take down the white Balverine, but you and the King did that."

"Don't mention that prat," he hissed, but received a sharp slap on his arm.

"Don't be so bitter, Mr Finn! He may have wronged you but you owe it to yourself to be the bigger man."

He nodded slowly, blushing in embarrassment as for the first time in years he was being reprimanded by a woman who acted just as a mother would, and he smiled slightly to himself despite the whole situation as he thought about how long it had been since he'd lost his own mother, but how alike she and Genevieve were, and also how he quite liked her company.


	67. With Logan

Aaand another chapter! Enjoy, my beauties

* * *

The people of the town were very welcoming and friendly towards her. A few people looked at Logan with some form of detest, but others welcomed him too, forgiving him all his misdeeds and asking him how he was, if he was well, inviting him into their houses.

Danny hadn't seen him look so pleased as he did now, the people of Brightwall being so kind to him, and most knew about her background too. Word had spread from Bowerstone by means of travelling traders, he image was known and her story had become a legend unto itself in these parts. One man, Samuel, an older man with greying hair and a sense of intellect about him told her that the Dwellers on the other side of Mistpeaks sang her praises, and their leader Sabine was known to be rather hard to please, but would speak very highly of her. She beamed at this, glad for the news of it.

And despite her background that all these people knew so well, they didn't bat an eyelid. Quite the contrary actually, they asked her questions about Balverines, about their habits and what pack life was like. She answered each query with gusto, trying to describe it as accurately as she could while depicting them in a good light. She was more than aware of the differences her species had with them, but she didn't mind spinning them in a different light than the people were used to. It made them gawk and nod enthusiastically, grinning happily as she laughed about some of the adventures she had with her brothers and sisters, getting into trouble. She explained how she came to be involved in the pack, how she was protected by her foster mother and how unbeknownst to her until very recently her own father had been turned into a Balverine and was taking care of her as best he could.

The children wanted her to leap about and show them how Balverines moved, and they raced her through the town square trying to keep up with her pace and long fast strides, the way she could leap over obstacles intrigued them, and they all dared her to climb the statue in the middle of the square faster than a teen named Billy, who apparently could scale it faster than all the other kids in town. He looked at her cockily, tossing his head back and grinning, a look she returned.

They took opposite sides of the statue, and as Logan shouted go they jumped forward. Danny had already memorised all the best footholds and places to hold onto before they started, but was aware of the other boys advantage of experience.

But despite his knowledge, despite him being younger than her by a few years, he couldn't beat a life of living in the woods, scaling trees to survive and for fun, or her speed, which she'd grown to perfect throughout her life. So within seconds she was sat atop the statue and he was looking up at her, barely even starting up it.

"Fuckin' hell!" he cried, but grinned – until his mother stepped forward and clipped him around the ear, berating him for swearing. The rest of the kids cheered and even some of the adults looked impressed, while others shook their heads smiling, appreciative of her youth and vigour.

"You should probably come down now, Danny," Logan laughed, catching her with deft precision as she leapt down to him.

For a small while longer they enjoyed the company of the people in the town, and were even offered a free pub lunch for their dinner to welcome them in. Logan went to talk to Samuel, who was in charge of housing in the area, and procured himself a house after Danny spent hours persuading him to. It would be a while before he could move out, as the current tenants were in the middle of a move themselves to a small settlement called Driftwood.

That night they crossed the bridge, looking up at the night sky and able to see the thousands of stars up there casting their light down, Logan smiling as he gazed upon them properly for the first time in years, not having seen them for the smog of pollution around Bowerstone. They entered Danny's new home, settled into the soft armchairs in the large sitting room as a fire crackled warmly before them, warming them and casting a warm glow over the two.

Logan spoke cheerfully to her, sounding far more genuine than he had ever before, possibly because he didn't have to feign happiness any more, he'd found somewhere where the people were willing to accept him despite his past, so long as he led a good future. He told her all about how he'd come here as a child, and would spend hours reading in the library with his mother, while Damien and their hero father would be gallivanting around the town, and how he'd been there to help open the library, but had to close it years ago due to the amount of money it was taking to fund it. It was one of the worst things he'd had to do as a ruler, as it had been one of the last things his father did before his death.

He described to Danny his age, telling her he was elderly and frail towards the end, and roughly six years ago he had died in his sleep one winter night, warm in his bed.

His mother, the woman who had loved her hero King despite his long hours away from her in the throne room or somewhere in Albion, she loved him, stayed loyal to him, and died of a broken heart only a month after his death, in the exact spot he lay in as he took his final breath. Both of Logan's parents were buried in the crypt beneath the gardens, together for eternity now as he described it. He explained to Danny how he'd had to suddenly accept the crown to rule Albion, but also had to take over all the parental duties his parents had, watching over Damien and becoming somewhat overly protective of him.

"I'd lost my parents, Danny, I couldn't bare to take my eyes off him for more than five minutes... I didn't want to lose my brother too..."

And they sat in silence from that point on, lost in the irony of the whole thing as Damien now seemed to hate his older brother. Silently, Danny reached over and clasped his hand with hers, trying to reassure him, trying to comfort him with what little she could, although they both knew it to be true.

And they fell asleep like that, in the silence, warmed by the embers of the dying fire.


	68. Journey To Brightwall

Two more to post :p

* * *

It took days for him to recover properly, and left Silverpines after thanking Genevieve profusely. From what he managed to gather from other villagers, Damien had returned to Bowerstone to keep rule over the Kingdom and add the money made from the statue to the treasury for the war. He seethed slightly as he made the journey from Silverpines to Brightwall, but put the agonising pain to the back of his mind and plodded on through the torrential rain and freezing weather that only Albion had to offer.

He spent the nights seeking shelter in caves, pulling his jacket tightly around him, waiting for some creature to come and start a fight with him. They never did, which he was thankful for. It was mostly during the day when he had his wits about him when the Hobbes would come charging out at him in throngs only to retreat one by one as he shot them all dead. It set him on edge, as he reached the valleys surrounding Mistpeaks, that he had not yet been ambushed by mercenaries, who would undoubtedly shoot him as many times as possible before robbing him blind as he lay there dying.

None did, that is however, until his third day trekking up the mountainside and through a dense path of brush.

"Oi, looky 'ere lads!" came a gruff voice as he stepped into a small clearing, and sighing her turned around to see four burly men leering his way.

"Come on, can you not give me a break?" he moaned, knowing what was coming as one reached for their own gun and he whipped his arm around for his own. Before he could pull it out, however, there was an almighty bellow, and a flurry of greyish brown fur went rushing past him, crashing into the nearest bloke who threatened him, before ripping his throat out.

It was the young Balverine, Ika, who must have followed him from Silverpines. To keep an eye on him? Maybe. To see Danny? Most likely. Was he thankful for the help? Most definitely.

As those men scattered, Ben nodded to the young beast who went after them, before turning and crashing headlong into something rather solid and rather leathery.

Looking up, he saw the most gruesome looking chap he'd ever had the misfortune to see in his life. His face looked like it had been in a contact with some high powered explosives, and lost. Whereas his intimidating height made it all the more unsettling. His chest was bare, save two leather straps that crossed over it, holding a variety of weapons and explosives. He wore threadbare cotton pants, dirtied and torn, and his body was caked in mud and – unmistakeably – blood. For a second, they stood there staring at one another, before Ben coughed and cleared his throat, and held up one finger to indicate to a rather large dried blood patch on his stomach.

"You, uh... you've got red on you."

The man looked down at him, scowling, before the corner of his mouth twitched and he burst out laughing. It was loud and jolly, and made Ben start and jump back, startled. It continued for minutes, and the shorter blond couldn't move for his surprise. The laughter ended suddenly, and the grotesque bloke smirked as he pulled out his sword.

"It's a shame to kill you now, you're a fair funny guy," but nonetheless he swung his sword down at Ben in a deadly arch, which Ben only just managed to roll away from in a panic. He fumbled blindly for his gun, wondering slightly if the bullets would just glance off the blokes thick skin.

He needn't have bothered though, because one resounding crack later the man was lay face down in the dirt with half the back of his head blown out. His luck was unbelievable, and he gawked up to see Sabine grinning at him, a musket in his hands.

"You'd be screwed if I wasn't up here," the old man smirked, jumping down and offering his hand out to pull Ben to his feet. "Where's the rest of your motley crew?"

"Back in Bowerstone, I'm on my way to Brightwall," he huffed, brushing himself off and smiling down as the old chap.

"On your own? You prat, you're good as dead out here on your own," Sabine scolded him, but started off anyway in the direction of the greener hills leading to Brightwall.

"I figured as much," he muttered, but followed anyway, keeping close to the older man. Within no time they'd reached the peak of the hill and sprawled out over the vast countryside before them lay the town of Brightwall. As Ben started forward, Sabine went to turn back, much to Ben's surprise.

"Hey, aren't you coming?" he asked, his brow furrowed while his face displayed his confusion.

"No, I'm off home. Danny taught my men a nice trick to catch hogs and we're having a roast tonight," he laughed, but didn't move an inch as Ben lay a hand on his shoulder.

"You said you're as good as dead out there on your own," he pointed out, feeling some concern for the slightly dotty old man. But Sabine laughed, long and loud, throwing his head back and making every bead and trinket sewn into his hat and coat jungle together making everything sound all the more jolly.

"Ai, I said that didn't I? Course I meant you, you daft plank, I'm fine out there on my own."

Then the old man walked away, still laughing loudly as Ben stood there feeling slightly abashed, shown up by such an old man. On the plus side, nobody had seen, and he hoped Sabine would stick by some form of man code and keep it a secret and only have a slight dig in a private joke.

Of course, he could always want to show Ben up, and that was something he needed to be careful of. As much as he would laugh it off, he was more than aware that he had a delicate pride, anything could give it a knock.

But he walked down to the town in the early morning light, chortling to himself, walking past the bridge and up to the cottage that looked a damn sight better than the tip he'd been described only months ago. And from the soft glow coming through the window, Danny was in there waiting for him.


	69. With Damien

One more :)

* * *

He let himself in at the crack of dawn, silent as a wisp and watched as Logan got up to restock the fire, prodding the logs about with a long black poker to encourage them to set alight. Danny watching with mild interest, knowing full well she'd have to learn this sooner or later, but was really actually too tired to be bothered to take it in. She yawned and stretched just as Logan poked the fire to life, but knocked one log out of the fireplace in his haste to move away and had to stamp out the cinders left on the rug because of it.

"Well, you really bolloxed that one up," He said loudly from his place at the door, and Danny whipped her head around quickly to see Ben stood there looking rather smug, but extremely exhausted, and injured to her apparent horror.

"Ben!" she screamed out, almost as if she had to confirm that it was indeed him before rushing to his side and urging him to sit in the closest available seat.

"Hey babe," he said, pulling her close to him with a slight grimace before kissing her chastely on the lips, ignoring Logan completely and not at all sheepish about groping her behind, making her yelp a little in surprise.

"I'd say someone missed you, Danny," the darker haired man laughed, throwing Ben a grin before turning to place the fallen log back onto the fire.

"You think so Logan?" Ben asked with a smirk. "Then why don't you leave" he hissed, jerking his head slightly towards the door. "So I can show her how much I missed her."

"Don't be such a horny bastard, Finn," Logan laughed.

"Get out my house," Ben laughed louder, patting the older man on the back as he passed, noting the smirk and the slight nod of his head as he shut the door quietly. He wasted no time in ushering Danny upstairs, pulling his jacket off quickly as he went. The bed was in the corner, and Danny sat on it before him, turning around only to look horrified as he took off his shirt.

"Ben! What happened?!" she cried, jumping up again and running her fingers gingerly over the bandages, her eyes boring into his, begging for some decent reply.

"I... a Balverine..." he sighed, and the look on her face was enough to make his stomach drop. It was a mix of shame and anger, tears flooding her eyes suddenly as she choked out something in her other language.

"A white one, he'd taken over your pack and he did this," he tried to explain, but she shook her head and bit her lip before opening her mouth and asking as calmly as she could;

"Did nobody try to stop it?" she asked him, tenderly pulling away the bandages to reveal the long thin pink scar across his stomach, still healing in places but otherwise it looked relatively clean and good.

"The alpha did, but he was hurt when the white Balverine first went in there..."

"But what about the others?"

"They were too scared babe, but it's gone now, everyone's okay," he neglected to mention that Ika had followed her up to Mistpeaks, but figured there was an ulterior motive for that, not just to save his hide.

She softened up then, looking slightly more at ease with everything, but still rather reluctant to do anything because of the gash at his side. Her fingers trailed over it gently, so much so that he could have sworn he was imagining her hand there and it was instead just a soft breath of air. He lay on the bed, relaxing into the soft mattess and sighing happily, looking up coyly at Danny. She wasn't about to come any closer though, so he instead reached forward suddenly and pulled her atop of him, making her gasp but her shock at his sudden movement made her oblivious to his wince of pain. He ignored it though. He wanted her, _needed_ her...

"Shh, sweetheart..." he hushed her, his eyes half lidded and his smirk wide as she stared back up to him with her lovely big green eyes. "Just... relax."

* * *

She lay there in a tangle of sheets, a thin veil of sweat covering her body as she lolled her head around over the pillow, trying to muster up some strength. She wanted to move, but at the same time she just wanted to stay there for the rest of eternity, curled in his arms and warm by his side. The fire downstairs had thoroughly warmed the whole cottage, and she was rather content just staying naked, lying there.

"Tired?" Ben asked, and she turned her head slightly to see him smiling at her, his chest heaving as he caught his breath, his forehead dripping with beads of sweat too.

"A little," she admitted, rolling her body over to his to nestle her body against his and pressing her face lovingly into the crook of his neck. She felt him wrap his arm around her back, his hand gripping her arm firmly but not too hard, protective over her. His lips brushed against the top of her head and she smiled gently. "You are too."

"Too bleedin' right I am, I'm knackered," he cried with a chuckle, stroking her hair out of his face while staring down at her with some sort of tender emotion on his face.

"Go to sleep then," she suggested, rolling away from him reluctantly, ignoring the small whine he made in the back of his throat, but as she started pulling clothes on there wasn't much more he could do. He did go to sleep quite quickly though, the small smile on his face as he snored told her he was satisfied enough and she stretched languidly before going downstairs. She'd wanted to find Logan in town, but what surprised her more was when she opened the door and Damien was stood there. The expression he wore was one that made her stomach clench in anxiety, and she shut the door quietly behind her before facing him properly.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, though not unkindly. He opened his mouth but instead of replying to her sucked in a deep breath, the stern expression he'd worn melted away and instead he looked ashamed.

"Has Ben arrived?" he asked, and she nodded tentatively, half expecting him to charge past her and knock the crap out of her lover. She may be naïve sometimes, that much she was aware of, but she wasn't stupid, and took notice of far more than people gave her credit for. The aggravated and sometimes aggressive looks that passed over both men's faces when they were in the same room together, the same look that appeared when the other's name was mentioned. They obviously detested one another, and she had the sinking feeling it was her in the middle of all of it.

What the two didn't realise was they were so alike, it just made them butt heads at every corner. It was like a competition.

Both men, she had to admit, were flirty. Ben was more so with her than any other woman but if there was something he wanted and was trying to haggle the price down on a stall, he'd do far better if the owner was a pretty young girl than any other time. Damien would stand for hours regaling woman of his stories of fights, informing them of the fantastic feats he'd accomplished. He'd dish out winks and kisses like there was no tomorrow.

It just so happened that she herself was the newest prize, Ben had won her which Damien wasn't too pleased about, but then Damien was trying to worm his way in with her, and Ben was having none of it. Thus they were at each others throats, and it was beginning to become tiresome.

She didn't even consider herself worth the hassle, which is all it was. She was a plain girl with brown hair and bright eyes which most others had around Albion. She had no outstanding bodily features, as she'd noticed men would flock to women with larger breasts, which she did not have. Her only difference to the hundreds of women around Albion was that she had grown up with a pack of Balverines, whereas they had not. She was possibly more agile than some others, and was most likely a lot quieter than most when she was moving about places (being loud never got you fed in the pack, your prey would run off... so you learned to shut up after a while).

But it didn't make her special, it just meant she was slightly different.

"I... Danny would you take a walk with me?" he asked quietly, looking up at the cottage hesitantly as if Ben would leap from a window screaming at him, trying to shoot him or something like that.

"Will you behave?" she retorted, taking him aback, and his mouth hung open in an 'o' shape for a few seconds before he burst out laughing and nodded his head, shutting himself up as quickly as he could.

"Yes, of course."

And so they set off down the dirt track, walking past the bridge and up a small incline to sit atop a grassy hill that looked out over the misty morning valleys, the town in it's hushed state, most everybody asleep, and the cluster of trees to the left where her cottage was nestled in. She sat down, ignoring the wet dew clinging to the blades of grass, ignoring the feeling of dampness on her legs and behind as she sat down, and instead looked across intently to Damien, who had sat next to her and was interlocking his fingers.

"I have a confession to make," he started, looking up at her expectantly as if he expected her to speak up about something. But she stayed quiet and listened as he took a deep shaky breath to carry on. He looked like a frightened child, so nervous. "I hate Ben."

"I know," she said pointedly, leaning back and propping herself on outstretched arms. "It's no secret."

"I hate him because I actually love you," he pushed, leaning towards her and placing one hand gently on her knee. "I have since I saw you covered in muck in Mourningwood Fort, digging that grave for your friend-"

"Jammy," she interjected, feeling a swell of sadness inside her as she remembered the man who died in her arms telling her to take care of Ben.

"Yes, Jammy... well, I just felt so much... respect for you. You were so strong to do all of it by yourself."

"He deserved a good burial," she pointed out, looking out over the morning mists, the thin fog covering the grassy lands and climbing thinly up the mountainsides.

"Did you two... did you have a thing? You and Jammy, before you got with Ben?"

She knew what he was asking and smiled bitterly while she shook her head.

"No, but I loved him. Like I love Logan. Like a brother."

"Do you love me like that?" he asked her quietly, and she turned her head to look into those soft brown eyes, the same expression in them as there was when they first met on the top of the fort, when she refused to accept him into her life. When she hated him. She saw the kindness and compassion that had once been and for the first time in months she pitied him his power. It did the same to Logan, made him into a man he wasn't. Made him cold and cruel and calculating.

"I used to," she whispered, her hand finding its way to his on her knee, clasping it tightly. "But you changed... you became hateful and I hated you too. I know you're a good man, Damien, but you act horribly sometimes."

He nodded solemnly, his eyes cost over the valleys like hers had been, while she took to watching him instead. He looked saddened, but at the same time there was an old familiar twinkle in his eyes, as if something was twigging inside him. A small smile graced his lips and he looked back to her.

"So you love Ben?"

"More than anything else," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper and his smile grew all the more wide.

"I just needed to hear it from you, that's all I needed."

He stood then, extending a hand and helping Danny up from the wet grass. She accepted and he pulled her up smiling, but then it dropped and it was like someone had punched him in the stomach, the pained expression on his face as he gazed over her shoulder.

"The hell are you doing here?" came a loud shout, and she turned to see Ben standing there, his brow furrowed angrily. She could feel Damien flinch away, but was more concerned about Ben's sudden temper.

"I just wanted to talk to Danny," Damien started, but was cut off by the blond's loud shouts.

"Like hell you did!"

He stormed over and put himself right in front of Damien, staring up at the man with fierce confidence despite the obvious height difference, and despite the wound in his side which put him at an obvious disadvantage.

"I nearly died in Silverpines because of you, because you wanted me out the picture," he growled, and Danny felt her jaw drop. She had no idea what had happened properly, but she wanted someone to explain now. But before she had the chance to demand an explanation Ben turned to her, obviously intent on doing so anyway.

"The white Balverine took me, scratched me up, and was about to gut me while he watched. It was only when it started cutting into my stomach did he shoot the damned thing."

"I shot it though didn't I? You're stood here yelling about me almost letting you die but you're not."

"You started lowering your gun, I had to tell you several times to shoot it."

Danny felt sick listening to this. Ben had almost been killed and Damien had almost let him? It was beyond words, and she was shaking in her boots thinking about what Damien could have been here this morning to tell her. That Ben had been killed and she'd be all alone in a strange place. She'd have been devastated. But they were also bickering about killing a Balverine. White or not, they were what she'd grown with. There had in fact been one white Balverine when she'd been a child come into the pack, and hadn't tried to fight for control. She was a lovely individual, but had grown upset being so close to what was her home – Millfields – so moved to Mistpeaks.

She turned on her heel and ran away, her feet pounding over the dirt and cobbles as she crossed the bridge rapidly and hurtled into town. Her feet carried her up the hills, her heart hammering against her ribs and her legs aching at the sudden out pour of energy. She leapt up the steps to the library anyway, pushing the door open and only slowing when the feel of the place hit her.

The smell was musty. It was like old trees, only cleaner. Books lined the walls on hundreds of shelves. Thousands of the things, and dead ahead of her was Logan and Samuel, going over some paperwork. Logan only had to look at her face to stand abruptly to his feet, looking concerned. H#In two long strides he was before her, his hands gripping her upper arms gently and his voice low and gentle.

"Danny? What happened?" he asked her, and she looked up at him with hate in her eyes.

"Damien is here, and he's fighting with Ben. Damien almost let him get killed by a... by a Balverine," she whispered the last bit, a part of her not wanting to think about it herself.

"Where are they?" he asked, looking pointedly at the door.

"Probably following me," she sighed. Logan went past her, muttering quietly about sorting them out. She looked up at Samuel who smiled kindly and motioned to the isles of books and chairs and strange objects and ornaments.

"If you'd like to have a look about, you're very welcome to," and she nodded before wandering to her left and strolling through the hallway.

Something caught her eye though, and she turned her head to see a large doorway in the wall, open, with a set of old stone steps leading down into darkness. Everything within her told her to turn around and head back, but she wanted an escape, and so urged herself forward, letting the cold air blasting upwards from the cavern cool her skin, setting up goosebumps, and she grabbed a lit bracket off the wall to light the way.


	70. Comatose

Last one!

* * *

She'd been walking for hours, or what felt like it, through old tunnels and decaying halls. The air became colder, and she was shivering terribly. The place was completely foreboding, but there was something else that drew her on, made her continue forward. She walked on, over platforms that seemed to suspend on nothing and bridges crumbling beneath her feet with each step.

She could feel an energy pounding through the halls, some magical aura beating through the archways she passed under.

As she rounded each corner, she felt as if something was watching her, but she didn't dare turn around for fear of seeing something she didn't want to.

The air blowing past her sounded like whispers, and she stopped for a second to listen, genuinely unsure why she did it.

"_We hide in the shadows... we will overcome the light soon enough... we are here_."

And then the whispers blew into screams, cackles around her as shadows swept forward. She shrieked and fell backwards upon herself as a figure swooped forward. It was translucent, like water, not completely there but growing stronger. Long fingers ended in claws and reached to her, it's arms long and gangly, it's figure tall while casting a warped shadow over her. It seemed to grasp and pull at her hair, her wrists, the light went out in a gush and all that was left were the faint dim glows from the cracks in the wall. Screaming louder she hit out against the monster, looking up into it's fearful face. Long dagger like fangs, too many eyeballs focused on her for her to count in her panic, and she promptly brought her foot up and felt the sickening crunch of it connect with that things' face. It bellowed at her and in a second the shadows tightening their grips around her limbs and around her throat released, giving her just enough time to propel herself up and run as fast as she could through the dark the way she'd just come.

But the tunnels seemed different, and they twisted in different directions than she thought they would, and she found herself thoroughly lost, while the echoing cackles of that monster followed her, it's evil seeping into her mind and screaming a million terrible things at her. All her fears surfaced, all her repressed memories. Flashes of colour as things ran through her mind. Her father turning into a Balverine, being tormented and hurt in the pack, watching for years as Balverines fought over mates, watching animals slaughter one another. Falling from trees and landing with sickening crunches on the floor. Broken bones and other injuries seemed to resurface and the pain of them all combined at once. She screamed in pain, in panic, and the terrible face rose in front of her again, eyes glinting cruelly, and she passed out, hearing it whisper to her;

"_Albion will fall, the people will bleed, you will die..._"

* * *

They all rushed through to a side room where Samuel was stood nervously, peering down into a passage where old worn stone steps led down into dark depths.

"I-I didn't know she'd gone down there-" he started to sputter.

It didn't take a genius to figure out Danny had gone down there, wherever that was. Ben looked around to see Damien and Logan looking at one another, shocked and white as ghosts. It was all he needed to take the pistol from his belt and grab a cutlass from display on the wall beside him and take to the steps, ignoring Samuel cry out that he could use that sword, it was a priceless relic. It felt good in his hand, perfectly balanced and with one swoop he knew it would be effective against whatever monster lay down there. Footsteps behind him made him look around and Logan was following him, unsheathing his own sword with a grave expression on his face, while Damien was close on their heels, shaking his head.

"We're not about to let you go down there on your own," he said sternly, and Ben only nodded before they rushed down the stairs.

A high pitched scream sounded down the halls, and they froze. It was like ice in his veins and his body jolted to a halt. There was a pause, only seconds but it felt like years, then it sounded again, and he had no doubt in his mind who it was.

"Danny!" he exploded, yelling loud and taking off straight away, his feet carrying him down the hall faster than he could have imagined they could. He could hear feet pounding behind him and he knew Damien and Logan were chasing after him. He didn't care how far behind they were or what he was running into, just as long as he found Danny.

He made a sharp left, going off his gut feeling and making another few sharp turns down the halls, passing under arches and leaping over crumbling pillars. The room seemed colder, darker, something eerie was there and he readied himself for the presence of Hollow Men or Hobbes, but when something snagged him around his ankle he fell flat on his face and he lay for a second in pain. He rolled over though, kicking out at whatever it was, only to see an empty hall, and his own shadow.

Logan and Damien caught up then, barely panting while Ben heaved himself to his feet.

"We need to find her, something isn't right," he hissed through gritted teeth. Damien was about to reply when another scream, this time a lot more desperate, a lot more choked out, a lot quieter but closer sounded, and they all turned to see something moving at the end of the hallway, something tall and sinister.

He knew what it was before he thought about it, and ploughed towards it furiously as a thousand hateful words poured through his mind. Lightening cracked about him, and he realised Damien was holding it back while he moved in to grab Danny.

"_Ah, ah, ah..._"

He stopped abruptly, to see Danny behind held up by the Crawler, paler, not completely there, merely a shadow itself, but still solid enough to be holding Danny up by her throat with a long clawed finger pressed against her throat.

She was looking at him with large scared green eyes, tears streaming down her beautiful face, and her lips mouthed the one word helplessly that made his heart ache;

'Ben...'

"Let- Let her go," he said, trying to sound fearless and intimidating, but his voice broke under the pressure and his eyes were fixed on his lovers trembling form to really put his heart into it. The Crawler grinned nastily, it's claw digging into her throat just that little bit more, piercing the skin and allowing a thin trail of blood to seep out. It was enough to jolt Danny into a sudden defensive mode, and her body jerked violently away, her foot swinging up in a large arch to smack the monster right in the face. She dived away, only for shadows to consume her. Logan was there in an instant while he and Damien attacked the Crawler, sure his heart was about to explode because of how rapidly it was beating beneath his chest. It simply melted before him though, sinking to the ground only to reappear behind him, but Damien thrust his sword forward and sent it spiralling backwards, shrieking at them.

And then Logan shouted in panic, and Danny was there, on it's back clinging onto the monster for dear life, her fingers curled around it's head and lodged firmly between those sharp teeth. He dared to make a shot for it's torso, making it double over in pain while Danny pulled it's jaw backwards forcefully, seemingly intend on ripping it's head off.

But the Crawler was angered, and lurched backwards, crushing her against a wall.

"It's too strong!" Damien yelled, and in mutual agreement Logan darted forward and picked up the crumpled form of Danny, unmoving and unconscious, while Ben swiped angrily at the shadows trying to creep up their ankles. Damien stayed rooted to the spot, yelling for them to go, and without question they raced away down the hall, and a sudden burst of heat stung their backs and the brightness of the fire the King had conjured sent the enemy screeching into cracks and holes, staying in the safety of the shadows to recover.

They pelted through the chambers, raced up the stairway despite their aching bodies groaning in protest, and once Damien was safely though the doorway they forced it shut, locking it and Damien sending a blast of fire against it, welding the two metal doors together.

Logan had laid Danny down on the floor gently, checking her pulse and her breathing. Ben collapsed onto his knees beside her, holding her head in his hands and willing her eyes to open. But they didn't, and she stayed in a comatose state all the way home, while he lay her in their bed and nursed her for three days consecutively.

And while he cared for her, tended over her broken body and whispered kindly to her, keeping nice thoughts about her in her sleep so memories of the Darkness wouldn't take over, Damien rushed back to Bowerstone to inform Walter and his armies of what had happened. He spent days collaborating with Kalin about an outpost in Aurora where the Darkness there could be kept at bay, made plans with Page about defences in and around Bowerstone while the other Captains and Generals in the army relayed notes back and forth to him and between himself and the King.

He couldn't have cared less though. Albion may have been his home and he may have had friends in and around the place. He knew millions of lives were at stake and the fact that the Darkness was seeping through already, gaining strength and making plans to advance forward and slaughtered the lot of them didn't bother him. All he was concerned about was the girl in front of him, and if she didn't wake up then the rest of the world could go to hell for he cared.

He'd had a million and one romances, but not one of them made him feel like this did now. He felt helpless watching her, angry with himself, and at times he found himself praying to Avo – though he'd never been a religious man, and considering bargaining with Skorm. Though he didn't quite fancy eternal suffering, he would have done anything to see her eyes open again.


	71. War Plans

Another chapter for my avid fans xD

Thank you each one who is reading this, please review if you can

* * *

After six weeks, six weeks of agonising worry and impatience; six weeks of seclusion and being unsociable save once every two days where for no more than half an hour where he would run to the market in town and buy basic provisions for himself and honey for Danny to mix with water to drip down her throat. Six weeks of buying health potions he could rarely find and feeding them to Danny to stop her body collapsing under malnourishment, stop her already lithe body turning into nothing but bones and skin, it happened.

The moonlight was streaming through the window, a full moon casting a deathly white glow on her pale porcelain skin, highlighting the bags under her eyes and draining the colour from her limp hair, making her look years too old. The cold forced him to sit beside her bed in the rocking chair he'd bought for them before they'd moved in, with the romantic image of eventually having a child with the girl and she would sit there cradling the child, feeding him... he sat there with blankets draped about him, huddled in them while his eyes drooped through fatigue. He was barely managing to stay awake when her eyelids fluttered open, her green eyes washed out in the moonlight and looking white instead. She stared blankly up at the roof, her lips parted and a small breath escaping her until she found the strength to turn her head slightly, allowing him into her line of vision.

"The Darkness is coming," she whispered, and he nodded his head slightly, leaning forward and resting the palm of his hand against her cheek.

"I know," he replied after a pause, his voice hoarse and grating against his throat. "I know."

They lapsed into silence, him feeling too tired to express his relief, and he coughed to clear his throat a little then looked out of the bay window and over the valleys. They were dark, lit only with the faint white glow emanating from the moon. It was beautiful, and something stirred in him, wanting him to fight for it. A month ago he couldn't have cared less if the Crawler had come into his home and killed him then and there, he was so sure Danny was gone. But somehow she kept fighting, kept jumping back in for more though he was sure she was far past her expiration date. With a small smile he accepted he had to do the same and fight alongside her for the future he had only been able to dream about since he was a child. To have his own children and give them the life he never had.

"Do you think we'll win?" she asked, sitting up slowly with his help, and he looked into those whitewashed eyes and nodded confidently.

"Course we will? I never lose in a scrap."

* * *

They'd made the long haul journey back to Bowerstone alone, leaving Logan in Brightwall in his new home with instructions on taking care of their own. She hadn't wanted to leave him there, especially not with what they knew was brewing in the shadows. But then again, they knew the Crawler could be anywhere. They didn't sleep in caves on their journey, and Danny even managed to recruit some stray Balverines to walk with them and keep them safe. They were Mistpeaks Balverines, all a reddish colour and very much friendly towards them. The word of a truce had spread between all humans, and they had formed strange alias' with the fearsome creatures and struck up hunting parties, training together to fight the Darkness. The word had obviously spread through the Balverines too, from the larger pack in Silverpines to those venturing to and from Mistpeaks. It was honoured between both species and it worked fantastically. People could go through the woods without fear of being torn limb from limb.

The Balverines scared off the Hobbes, chattered away happily to Danny, word of her being raised by Balverines was apparently already legendary in their own species, something she had been kept out of the loop from.

And everyone arrived safely in Bowerstone to see it had changed somewhat in their absence. The walls were built higher, precautionary materials atop them to aid in oncoming battles. The road was lined with sandbags, no doubt something to hide behind if you were fighting to avoid getting killed by attackers. Some people had already been evacuated from their homes and people who remained had boarded up windows and stocked up on weaponry themselves. In the town centre was the King Damien, trying to his utter frustration to communicate his ideas for the battle to Kali, who looked tired but was listening intently, trying to work it out himself.

"I just... come on, we want you to spread the Balverines out among the main settlements in Albion!"

Kali just stared on blankly, but turned his head swiftly in their direction when he heard footsteps coming their way.

"_Daenerys_!" he cried, getting up happily and trotting her way. She couldn't help but notice a limp. "_I heard you were attacked, are you okay_?"

"_Well, I'm alive and standing, I'd say that counts for something_," she laughed, hugging him tightly around the neck and kissing his nose affectionately. "_Do you understand a word he's saying?_"

"_Half of it, but he's waving his arms around and pointing and it's distracting_," he chortled, his face breaking into a wide wolfish smirk. "_Your mate would make a better alpha, he's a lot nicer_."

"_He doesn't want the responsibility, it's a lot of work and it changes you in bad ways_."

Kali nodded slowly, as if accepting that, then he smiled again somewhat bitterly.

"_It's not that hard being the alpha of a Balverine pack, no laws to make or anything like that. We have our traditions that we are taught as we grow. You break one of our traditions, you die_."

"_I know Kali, I grew up in the pack too. And you didn't grow with them. You had to learn them, you were human once remember?"_

"_Oh, a long time ago. Your mother sends her wishes by the way, she's a little happier lately with me around_."

"_I don't doubt she missed you_," Danny said quietly, her fingers lacing into his fur. "_She did love you remember_?"

"_You don't have to remind me Daenerys, I remember it well enough_."

They were silent and for a long time Damien and Ben stood watching them, the sweaty butler Hobson staring on with a distasteful expression from a distance away. Walter was there too, looking bored and tired and ill, something which concerned Danny a little, and she was sure she'd talk to him later about it. Ben shifted from foot to foot anxiously, not sure why but not entirely sure what they were talking about, so he couldn't read the situation. Damien looked slightly irritated on the other hand.

"Does he understand a word I'm saying?" he snapped, forcing Danny to whirl around and snap back at him.

"No, because you're being patronising and stupid. Go away, I'll tell him what to do!"

The people milling around in the town square stopped and gaped in shock at the girl with green eyes shouting in the King's face, and everyone was so silent you could have heard a pin drop. Ben was the first to crack, and burst out laughing, which made another man – a drunkard – laugh, and the sound rippled about until even Damien himself was laughing, his face breaking into a wide grin with that old twinkle in his eye.

"You do that, he'll probably listen to you too."

And so she told Kali the plan about sending groups of Balverines to all areas of Albion, flocking mostly to the main settlements where it would go and try to destroy. A large group was stationed in and around Bowerstone, one would watch over Millfields and Silverpines together, Brightwall would get a slightly smaller one but it would be the same routine while Mistpeaks and the Dweller Camp got a group as a whole. It spread the pack out, and the Same would be done for the pack in Mistpeaks, except they would be sent to Mourningwood, further south to Bloodstone and the hamlets around the Wraithmarsh, which was consumed with Darkness anyway, and would probably enable the Crawler to fester there and grow stronger. A small team of highly trained specialist soldiers were sent there to fight, but only if they volunteered.

Kali accepted all of that, saying he would gather the pack and the groups would be sent out soon. Then she stopped him before he could leave, and asked him quietly.

"_Would you be able to get a few on a boat_?"

He paused, looking at her incredulously.

"_A boat_?"

"_Yes, well, the Darkness is stronger in Aurora and it's only fair to send some of yours there too, to make it safer for the people there too. They've already been hurt a lot by the Darkness. I don't want them to be hurt further_."

He thought it over, and nodded.

"_I'll get a group of the younger ones together, they'll most likely want to do it_."

And with that he left, and Danny was able to relay to Damien the entirety of the detail, also letting him know he needed to arrange for a boat to take some Balverines over to fight alongside his soldiers in the desert.

Everything was arranged, and from that point on, it was simply a waiting game. There were roughly two months until the Darkness would attack, they just had to wait it out. Then destroy it.


	72. A Letter From Swift

Thanks to everyone who reviewed :D

I'm actually really happy, because about ten minutes ago I recieved an e-mail off lionhead. I sent in my fic 'Requiem' which focuses on Logan and all that jazz, and the lady who read it (Lauren) said she thought it was very good, said I have a talent for writing, and has told me she forwarded it around the office! OMG!

So naturally I'm very excited, and feeling very confident in my writing abilities. So what better way to celebrate that than post another chapter for Balverine Child?

Hope you all enjoy as usual!

* * *

Winter was coming to a close and it was leaked out to the populace of Albion that the Darkness would arrive by the end of spring. As the snows and ices melted away, they weren't replaced by green grass and beautiful flowers. Instead most of the ground stayed bare, grass growing only in patches, brown and dying before it had chance to live.

Ben had suggested they go home to Brightwall and sort their new home out, but Danny wanted to sort out something first. She hadn't been able to help but notice that Walter seemed very ill the last time she'd seen him, and whereas he was normally standing tall and gruff and ready for things, he'd been sat down and looked tired.

It wasn't the Walter she knew, wasn't the Walter she'd met in Silverpines all that time ago who'd been able to lift her under his arm and carry her around like a doll. He'd had such an impressive presence and now he seemed... old. The word had never even come to mind when she'd thought of Walter, he'd always seemed the type to be a warrior and a fighter and never let anything bother him, but now it was like he was giving up and she needed to find out what was happening.

She understood that the prospect of Albion facing demise was something that was getting a lot of people down, but she couldn't let him do this to himself. He was stronger than everyone else and couldn't just give up like this.

Danny found him in one of the servants' quarters one night, his own room which he'd had for years and decorated to suit him nicely. The walls were a deep red and all the furniture was cream and gold. It looked royal in itself, and she supposed it was about right for someone who held a knights title (though she still had no idea what the significance of it was).

He was hunched over a desk, papers piled around him full of numbers and words. He heard her coming but didn't seem to mind all that much, turning only ever so slightly and then beckoning her into the room.

"It's rare I see you around these parts," he said softly, reaching over to grab a stool and pull it up alongside the desk. "Sit down, sit down... would you like some tea?"

"No, thank you," she replied, perching on the end of the stool and looking over all the papers, watching him scribble notes down and read things. He had square glasses perched on his nose, and Danny found herself smiling at the thought that they looked far too small for him.

"No tea? Good, I fuckin' hate the stuff," he laughed, it bellowing from him good naturedly, before reaching into a drawer and pulling out a bottle of whiskey. "Now this, this'll warm your bones."

He poured her a mug full, then himself one, and downed the amber liquid in one gulp, smacking his lips together at the end and grinning at her. She tried to copy him, but as the liquid ran down her throat it burned and seared, and she coughed and sputtered, trying to get rid of the foul taste.

"You get used to it as you get older," he said gently, laughing a little as he patted her on the back.

"I don't think I will," she wheezed, before looking up into those kind grey eyes. "Walter, you don't seem well," she said quietly, resting a hand on his arm. He looked shocked for a moment, and his face scrunched up as if he were going to argue against her point. But his face dropped, his expression turned to dismay and he nodded slowly.

"I haven't felt on top form since coming back from Aurora. That bloody thing took the wind out of my sails it did..."

"The Crawler?" she asked, using the name she'd heard Ben and Damien call it by. "It hurt you too?"

"I suppose you could say so. Took my sight from me, like it did you, and left me for dead."

"Do you think Damien knows how it feels?" she asked quietly, questioning the King's understanding of his foe. If he didn't know what the Crawler was capable of then how could he defeat it?

"I don't think so, but he'll find out soon enough won't he? Otherwise he'll balls it up."

She laughed a little, but stopped when she saw the pained expression on the older man's face. He looked tired, angry and upset all at once, and shook his head slightly.

"I feel like I've brought it home with me, Danny," he said, his voice barely above a rumbled whisper. "I feel like it's destroying me now. I have nightmares about it... I've never feared something so much in my life."

"I'm scared of it too Walter," she said, trying to reassure him. He looked defeated now, and he looked angry with himself for sounding so weak. "But if we give up now we're going to balls it up."

And at this Walter burst out laughing again, pulled her into a large hug and kissed her head in a fatherly way. He was beaming at her, and she beamed back.

"Well, if you say so," he laughed, hugging her. The he paused and rooted around in his drawer again, pulling out an envelope with a letter inside it. "This is for Ben by the way, can you give it to him?"

"Of course," she took it from him, examining it.

"Can you read?" he asked, and she shook her head gently.

"Not a word."

"Then get that to him, okay?"

She nodded and retreated from the room, the effects of the amber liquid starting to take hold and her body felt far more relaxed than before, and she felt a little light headed. She walked down the corridor but didn't make it half way before bumping into Damien and hiccuping. A mug full of whatever it was was far too much for her to handle.

She mumbled an apology before continuing on her way, ignoring Damien shouting her back and stumbling to the room Ben had borrowed for their stay.

He was inside, asleep, so she put the letter on the bedside table next to him and dropped herself onto the blanket, curling up and sleeping straight away.

* * *

He only woke at midday, stretching and yawning, cracking his neck and back before slouching out of bed. Danny was fast asleep, curled up in the foetal position on her side of the bed and completely out of it so he decided to leave her to it while he got up and went about his day. It was when he was tugging his pants on and nearly fell that he noticed the envelope on the bedside table, and that was only because he'd had to catch hold of the side of it to stop himself tumbling over. He pulled his pants on properly, buttoned them up, and then reached for it to see what it was.

"Holy..."

The cursive writing on the front made his head spin a little, his jaw drop, and he felt the need to sit down while he opened it. It was quite obvious that this letter was from the long deceased Major Swift, and he almost didn't want to open it. He'd managed so long to shove the fond memories of his father figure Swifty to the back of his mind, yet here was written proof that a small piece of him was still around, and he didn't want to open it and ruin that.

But then his natural curiosity got the better of him, and he cursed himself in a whisper as he slit the envelope open and pulled the heavy parchment from inside to read it.

'_My boy, Ben._

_If you have received this letter it is safe to presume that I haven't made it through our battle, and Walter has passed it down. He will have only done so if he thought you were ready for it._

_I assume that the world we know and love, our Albion for which we have fought so hard for, is to face more troubles in the future, and the thought crosses my mind that you might have something to do with it, knowing the trouble you always seem to get yourself in. Hopefully not, but as we know as soldiers and as men of the world things do not always go according to plan, and many things we do in the here and now are to make the best of what short time we have upon this world._

_It is for this reason that I'd like to impart a little wisdom into your life, nothing but an old man's ramblings as you may well think, but as someone older who thinks things through more than you do I'd advise you read this letter and take note of what I am writing to tell you._

_For months now I have observed you and our young Danny, a girl who's wild personality has been tamed somewhat so she can live within society like a normal human being. You, my boy, have been with her every step of the way which I am sure she is something she's thankful for. I have watched as you have shared intimate moments, sad ones and happy ones at that, and how you have both grown as individuals in one another's presence. It would be daft of me to assume you don't have feelings for the girl, as I am very sure you do._

_I do not know how your relationship has progressed, or what your lives have come to now. I don't know if you've made it safely through the revolution or have by chance come across this letter before it was meant for you, and are now reading through this utter tosh with a bitter sweet smile. If you do still love Danny, as I am sure she undoubtedly loves you, you should make the best of whatever time you have left together and make an honest woman of her._

_The ring enclosed was one I gave to my late wife, a girl I married when I was your age and lost not long after to illness. A girl I will love until my dying day and for so long after that. In the years I have known you, Ben, you have driven me up the walls. However, you are the closest person I've ever had as family, and in all my years I have never grown so fond of one fool to consider him as a son to me. But you are, and you always will be._

_Please, as one last favour to my memory, give that ring to Danny. Love her as you know she deserves to be loved, and by Avo Ben, if you upset that girl or hurt her in any way, I'll rip your lungs out from your throat._

_All my best wishes,_

_Jack Swift_'

There was a moment of innermost silence as Ben reread the letter, smiling fondly as he remembered his old mentor and friend. Then something twigged inside him and he reached quickly for the envelope and picked it up.

Tipping it, he emptied a small silver ring onto his hand. Simple, delicate, with one small diamond embedded into it. It was lovely, and he felt somewhat overwhelmed at the sentiment. He cast his eyes back over to Danny. She was still curled up, her hair splayed over the pillow in golden brown waves, while her eyelids fluttered in her sleep. She looked so perfect, and he wanted to wake her that second and pop the question, but he knew she'd be groggy and confused so instead pulled on a crisp white shirt and slipped the ring carefully into his pants pocket, before heading into town to find some things for that night.


	73. By The River

Here's another chapter for you guys. I'll be posting another within the next ten minutes too :D

* * *

As Spring progressed the skies darkened. Clouds of deep purple and black formed over Albion in the space of the usual bright baby blue that was normally there, and the air seemed colder than it had ever been. The sun could barely crack through the clouds and plants began to die off, flowers wilting and trees shedding their leaves before the buds had chance to bloom properly.

It was as if the land were giving up already, as if the Darkness was seeping into the life and soul of the country before it murdered the populace.

People all over Albion would look out of their windows each morning in hopes it had gone away, but would sigh and light candles that were beginning to be the only means of light. There were small bubbles of panic forming beneath the people, and Ben knew it was the calm before the storm. People knew when the Darkness was coming now, so he estimated that roughly a week before it attacked there would be mass panic, looting, crime... people would likely start killing themselves and possibly – in the worst circumstances – their families in a last bid attempt to escape from the horrors coming for them.

Danny, he was surprised to find, was becoming more and more chipper and cheerful as time went on. She'd bounce around town and try to cheer the children up, giving out expensive sweets that she'd stolen from the castle kitchens, and she even got Damien to do the same. Visiting people in turn around Bowerstone or giving moral boosting speeches in squares to make people feel safer. The citizens of Albion began reassuring one another, and it seemed like that bubble of panic was about to disappear altogether.

And it did. It was the first good news Ben had had in ages. People began milling out onto the streets again, socialising, having fun, shopping, joking and getting so drunk they were paralytic. It was fun to see people actually being normal for once.

It was on one of these night, when everyone was celebrating for no reason in the square, that he found Danny sat down under Bowerstone bridge, her feet hanging down from the stone banks into the water, her face content and happy. She'd not grown out of the habit of wearing his clothing, and he doubted she ever would. She liked it being lose and baggy on her, making it easier for her to move about and she felt free in her own little way. He wouldn't tell anyone, but he found it rather attractive. He would always catch glimpses of her soft breasts, or when they were in the bedroom she'd slip on an old shirt and stand to get something else of the floor. Once she bent down and he saw her buttocks waving in front of him he'd quickly pull her into bed again.

She was quiet there, and he gulped nervously as he approached her, trying to find the balls to do what he needed to.

And the simplest thing to do was sit beside her, pulling her close to him and keeping his arm around hers. He quickly took off his boots and let his feet drop into the water, circling to make ripples along the calm surface of the canal. The moon in the sky was mirrored in the waters, its reflection glaring up at him with its pure white face rippling along the waters.

Ben paused as he felt Danny lean into his side, her head rolled against his shoulder and he looked down at her face to see her smiling warmly up at him. Her eyes were whitewashed as the moon, pale and glittery, and her face looked like porcelain. Words failed him, so instead he stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled out the silver ring.

Her eyes widened slightly as he held it up to her face, she examined it then looked back at him, wonder in those large pale orbs.

"Marry me," he whispered, finding it was all he could say, holding the ring to her finger and waiting for a response. And she nodded, her mouth forming a small 'o' shape as he slipped it onto her finger, before he pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips against her, eliciting a small gasp from her before she relaxed in his arms.

They broke the kiss after a moment, she rested her forehead against his, their noses bumping together, and she smiled warmly at him.

It was enough for him to roll her over onto the cool cobbles and make it a night to remember.


	74. Hugging A Tycoon

The next chapter, as promised :)

* * *

They spent the night in the shadows under the bridge, in a tangle of limbs and clothing that had only been half removed. They laughed quietly, hushing one another only to dissolve in fits of giggles again, not having the will to stop or worry about being caught. It was in the early hours, when the sky was melting into a dim red signalling the morning that Ben roused Danny from her sleep. He helped her into her pants while he wrapped his jacket around her shoulders and they walked arm in arm back up to the castle with the small diamond in the ring glittering in the morning light.

She positively flew down the halls, her smile wide and infectious, her overflowing joy seeping from her and restoring some life to the castle. She'd heard word that Logan had returned to Bowerstone to retrieve some of his belongings, so was now rushing to his room to tell him the news.

And as she burst through the door, the smile faded from her face and was replaced with loathing, anger and frustration. Hobson was stood in the middle of the room, rooted to the spot with an armful of Logan's possessions; expensive silver plate mail, a crystal chess set he'd taught her to play chess with a long time ago, and lots of other stuff he shouldn't have even been close enough to breath on.

"Ah, miss Danielle-"

"Danny," she sneered, glaring at him while he fidgeted on the spot, his fingers brushing carefully over the items in his arms.

"Whatever," he snapped, "I'm rather busy, you should leave."

"What are you doing?" she snapped back, her eyes narrowing into dangerous slits while he pointedly turned away, ignoring her. She felt her chest swell and she stormed over to him, grabbing him by his shoulder and spinning him around. "I said, what are you doing?" she cried, and he glared at her.

"It's non of your business you filthy bitch!" he yelled, shoving her roughly away, shocking her by his strength and standing menacingly above her while glowering down. "I've hated you from the moment I met you. You'd have been better to fuck off when I told you!"

His language was one of the things that shocker her mildly. He'd always acted so proper around her, if not pompous and insufferable. But she pushed that to the back of her mind when he looked around and drew a long silver sword from a wall decoration and pointed it at her. Nothing else registered, she just opened her mouth and a shrill scream erupted from her.

She was frozen still, terrified, then a crack sounded around the room and Hobson toppled over, dead, and she looked around wildly to see Ben and Logan stood in the doorway. Logan was holding a pistol out, but stowed it away quickly, while Ben was pale as a sheet.

"I never did like him anyway," Logan drawled, stepping aside to let Ben rush past to Danny. Logan walked over idly, examining the body of the newly deceased.

"Are you okay?" Ben asked, pulling Danny to her feet and kissing her gently on her forehead. She nodded numbly, looking about her to see the shocked face of the dead Hobson, and she sniffed slightly.

"Damien needs a new butler..." she mumbled, eliciting loud raucous laughs from the two men. Logan was the first to talk, composing himself slowly. He had to stand up properly, as he'd doubled over from laughing so hard and wiped a tear from his eye.

"No, he'll probably just call Jasper back from his Sanctuary."

she hadn't the foggiest who Jasper was, or what the Sanctuary was, but she shrugged internally and let it go, not bothering to ask and get herself confused over the matter. Instead she stuck her left arm out in front of her with a small smile on her face, the silver ring on her finger glittering. Logan's face broke into a large smile and he pulled her into a hug right away, lifting her off her feet.

"Congratulations!" he cried, placing her back down and beaming. "So when are you tying the knot?"

"Soon," Ben chipped in, his arm looping around Danny's waist affectionately and he smiled down at her himself. "Don't want to wait too long since... you know."

Logan nodded, his smile not fading in spite of the negative implications of Ben's sentence.

"You have to let me in on the planning details. I actually have an idea where you could do it if you don't want anything too grand-"

"Nothing grand?" Ben cried, his face splitting into the largest grin ever. "Are you mental? I want it to be massive, I want everyone in Albion to know I'm marrying the most beautiful girl there is."

Danny could feel her face burn red, and she ducked her head slightly to avoid any eye contact. She cast her eyes instead to the body in the middle of the floor, seeping blood into the carpet. They'd seemed to have conveniently forgotten about him, and she felt a little guilty even though he'd been seconds from murdering her before his own untimely death.

"We should move him," she muttered quietly, but it was enough to halt the conversation between the royal and the soldier and make them look her way. Ben scoffed slightly, but sighed. It was like he knew she'd be mad if he blew this off, and she smiled slightly as she realised he did know her, and he would do it to make her happy.

"Get a bloody sheet then, we'll shift him down to the stables and get someone there to go bury his body."

And together they all lifted the fat little man onto a sheet, wrapped him in it then carried the corpse through the castle. Danny stopped at the front entrance to the castle and turned to look up behind her to the large staircase leading to the throne room and Damien's chambers.

Without a word she swept off that way, intending to tell him the whole story and see who this Jasper was.

Damien was in his map room, looking over the large table that was a scale map of Albion they knew and he was putting figures down to chart which armies were going where come summer when the Darkness would be strong enough to attack. She rapped on the door and without looking up he called her into the room.

"Damien, I need to tell you something," she said walking in and taking a seat on the couch. He was silent for a moment, looking over the table and nodding slightly before looking up at her and smiling slightly at her. His eyes seemed brighter and his expression friendlier. His eyes swept over her, his brow furrowing as if he'd noticed a change, then his focus went to her ring finger, the small diamond on the silver ring wrapped around there, and he smiled slightly.

"I see Ben's popped the question. I don't rate him on his timing," he laughed, walking over and taking her hand to inspect the simple ring she had. "Beautiful ring though," he added on quietly, mumbling.

"Yeah, it was from Major Swift..." she whispered, and Damien nodded with a smile on his face.

"I take it this was the news?" he asked, and she bit her lip slightly.

"Well, no... Hobson tried to kill me," she said in a rush, and she watched as his jaw dropped. He stood there in shock for a moment before pulling his pistol out from his belt and starting for the door. "Wait!" she cried, leaping up and grabbing his arm. "There's no need, Logan already shot him."

He stood there for a moment before a bellowing laugh erupted from him and he smiled. "I never did like him anyway."

"Logan and Ben took the body down to be buried somewhere," she explained, kind of upset at the total lack of sympathy Damien had for the man. She hated his living guts and the fact he tried to kill her didn't exactly put him in a better light, but he'd worked for Damien and though he was a sneaky little git he was a big help to the King.

"Don't you care?" she asked quietly.

"Not really," he sighed, looking up at her disapproving expression. "Should I?"

"He was a good help and he's dead now," she stressed, and he shrugged.

"He was a bastard and I was going to fire him anyway. I hate those kinds of people."

Danny realised then and there that it was a losing battle. She dropped the subject reluctantly, and instead started questioning him about what happened in a human wedding. He explained that the bride would traditionally wear a white dress while the groom would wear his best clothes. For Ben, they would probably be a clean and unbloodied soldiers uniform. The bride would be walked down the isle by her father, and given away at the end to her fiancé. They would exchange wedding rings then after some rituals (he spent ten minutes explaining what the difference between wedding and engagement rings were) and then they'd seal the deal with a kiss.

She understood everything, and nodded smiling as he talked about holding it at the castle, overseeing it, getting a nice spread put on for the party. They would have continued chattering on if it weren't for someone shoving open the door and waltzing in with a flourish. He looked surprisingly younger than the last time she'd seen him, and he seemed much more cocky as he grinner her way and bowed with mock respect to the King.

With no hint of distaste however, Danny regarded Reaver carefully, her eyes sweeping over his clothing. He looked different without a top hat.

"My dear sweet King, I come as your saviour to deliver good news!" he cried, striding over and pressing a slip of paper into his hands. "I'm sure you'll find that to your liking," he added, a twisted grin on his face.

Then, just as much as she'd expected, he sat beside her on the couch, one arm slung over the back and curling around her.

"Call me a magpie my darling, but is that a sparkling new trinket on your ring finger?" he cooed, taking her hand gently and examining the ring. "Very pretty! I imagine your General Finn is the lucky man whom has captured your heart?"

"He is, yes," she replied politely, smiling as she saw something akin to a friendly twinkle in the tycoon's eyes.

"Lucky him! I'd have snatched you up before now if I'd had the chance... the opportunity is never closed though, if you like?"

"I don't think so..." she said, ignoring the smirk and the mischievous look on his face. "I'm quite all right with Ben."

Reaver shrugged, stood and dusted his coat off with a small smile directed towards her. Not unkind, but not a hundred percent friendly either. He strode behind the couch and ignored Damien as he watched on intently, suspiciously, and made to walk out of the door he'd left flung open. He paused, as if recalling some important information, before making a small 'ah' sound and turning on his heel to bend over the couch and whisper into Danny's ear.

"You'll have noticed my refreshing good looks, I assume," and she nodded slightly "well you were quite right saying I live off other people, but not in the way you thought. To keep myself looking as dashing as I do, I'll have to keep some people alive, and so I'll help fight this dratted Darkness attempting to consume our fair Albion. But not a word of this to anyone you hear? Or I'll have to put a bullet in that beautiful head of yours."

"Okay," she whispered back, and to Reaver and Damien's mutual surprise she turned on the couch and embraced him. She didn't say a word, she didn't need to, he understood the gesture and for a second it seemed as if he were going to wrap his arms around her too, but stopped himself and instead pried her off him.

"I knew my irresistible good looks would snap you up sooner or later, but unfortunately for today I'm a busy man... I'll see you soon though sweety!"

And with that he flounced out of the room, head held high and smirk plastered on his face. She watched him go, wondering what he was like before he became such a twisted cruel man. But something told her it wasn't her business and if she were ever to learn that truth it would have to come from the man's lips himself. Damien startled her out of her train of thought though, with a loud and incredulous statement.

"What in the name of Skorm's craggy arse was that?!"


	75. The Wedding

ShortOne33, another chapter my dear ;)

* * *

She looked at herself in the mirror, stunned to say the very least as she realised the person staring back at her in equal shock was indeed herself. She'd tried to imagine it was someone else. Someone with bright green eyes and newly curled brown hair. She could barely recognise herself.

Her face had been powdered lightly, so whereas she'd been pale before, she now resembled a white sheet in colour. Her eyelashes had been coated in a black liquid which made them look longer and thicker, and made her eyes seem larger than they usually were. Her cheeks were pink and rosy, but still looked somewhat natural, but her lips were a bright red. Brown locks framed her face in a mix of delicate spirals and large bouncing curls. Together they mingled and the overall they looked beautiful, each and every colour in her hair suddenly seeming to stand out all on it's own. Deep chestnut browns and lighter browns mixed, while a blond honey colour brightened everything up, seeming to add such a dramatic contrast that everything just seemed more lovely.

But she hadn't been able to handle the attention she was receiving, not being able to put up with a dozen maids fussing about her, bickering about the style of her hair, deciding if her face needed more make up and more powder or would she look all right staying natural... but maybe a bit washed out...

They'd coaxed her into underwear, something she wouldn't bother with other than a pair of panties. Now she was wearing a white silk corset, decorated with a blue ribbon frill around the top with hard metal ribs in it that seemed to squeeze her in and suffocate her. Silk white panties with a matching blue ribbon bow on the front kept her modest, and then for some insane reason they'd slipped a piece of elasticated silk up her leg, leaving it on her thigh and tittering over how beautiful she looked. She didn't understand how she could look beautiful to women when she was stood barely clothed. Social norms she'd learned didn't agree with that.

It was when one of the women suggested pulling the corset tighter that she'd let out a shrill frustrated scream and bolted from the room, ignoring the surprised stares she was receiving from maids and butlers as she ran down the hall, and now she was in Logan's now empty room, staring silently into a full length mirror.

"You end up here a lot barely clothed, don't you?" came a voice, and she turned to see Logan closing the door quietly behind him and walking up to her, his eyes running over her body. "I really shouldn't be looking at an almost naked woman who's about to get married."

"They want to tighten this," she whimpered, gesturing to the corset. "It hurts already."

And indeed, it was pinching at her skin, making her wince in pain with every little movement. How she'd not noticed before she didn't know, she just supposed her flight reaction overcame the pain she was feeling. Logan didn't say a word, just stepped up behind her and started pulling different strings. For a second, it all tightened, and then it went loose. Still covering her, still supporting her bust and holding her stomach in, but not hurting her in any way.

"You'll look a lot better once we get a dress on you," he said, and she could sense the smile in his voice. He turned to go, but she stopped him by turning rapidly and grabbing his arm.

"Why aren't you bothered that you see me like this?" she asked, her general curiosity getting the better of her. "Everyone else looks shocked." He only chuckled kindly in reply, taking her hands and kissing them.

"I don't see you as anything more than a friend, someone to take care of and love for the sake of loving them. Now let's get you dressed, I'll go get the dress and you wait here for me."

She did, pondering over what he'd said about loving her. She supposed it was the same way she loved him, as a sibling to watch over and take care of. Not long later he was back with only one young shy maid who Logan introduced as Anya. They went about dressing her, slipping the silken underskirt on her before pulling the heavy material of the dress on atop the underclothes. The dress itself was made of silk too, had a long wide skirt that seemed to trail out further behind the dress than anywhere else. It was sleeveless and strapless, and fit over the corset to cover it nicely. She waited patiently while Logan and the young maid fastened the hundreds of tiny white buttons at the back of the dress, not stopping until the last one was done up right at the end of the skirt. She felt sorry for them, knowing their fingers would ache while they were doing it, but she stayed still and didn't offer to help because moving would only make their job harder.

Once it was near the end of the skirt and she could have reached the back, she offered to help finish it off, but Anya only smiled and shook her head.

"You can't do anything to help," she said gently, clasping Danny's hands. "It's your big day, you just let us do the work."

She nodded, and watched as a see through thin chiffon cardigan was brought to her. It was a slip on, and Danny lifted her arms up to help as Anya slid it on over her head and smiled. This went from her waist, had long sleeves and reached the top of her neck below her jaw, dipping slightly at the front in a pretty arches collar to allow her room to breath. Logan presented a long white silk ribbon, thick enough to wrap around her waist and tuck the chiffon cardigan into to stop it looking loose.

While Logan fussed over the perfect knot, the girl went behind her and scooped her hair up, sliding pins into it expertly to form a messy bun atop her head, allowing the odd curl loose to frame her face or trail down her back. Then the veil was placed atop her head and pinned in place to finish the look off, and the maid and Logan stood back to admire their work.

"You look beautiful," the girl breathed, smiling. "You look absolutely beautiful."

"She does, doesn't she?" Logan agreed, pride crossing his face and he seemed to swell with happiness. "Makes me wish I hadn't been so cruel to you when we first met, I might have had the chance to be the lucky man today," he winked at her and she knew he was joking, so smiled back, and went to hug Anya, thanking her quietly.

"Look at yourself!" she cried, encouraging Danny to turn and face the mirror.

And she did, and she almost cried. The girl looking back at Danny was more radiant than anything she'd ever seen, and even clad in tight clothes which she usually detested, she felt they were the best things she'd ever worn. There were no words to describe how amazing she felt, and for some reason in the pit of her stomach there was apprehension.

"I'm scared," she whispered to Logan once Anya bustled off to attend to her other duties, "I don't want to do this..."

"Pre-wedding jitters," he said simply, taking hold of her hand. "Don't worry Danny, it'll be okay. We've even got a surprise for you."

And at that Genevieve walked through the door, tears in her eyes and the biggest smile on her face, Kali loping in after her and coming right up to nuzzle her cheek.

"_You look beautiful,_" he said in a low growl, giving her a wolfish smile before turning and nuzzling Genevieve's cheek to get rid of some of the tears. Glancing back to Danny he huffed slightly. "_She's been like this since she was told about this. Tell her she'll ruin her make up._"

"Um, he says you'll ruin your make up if you don't stop crying," Danny said gently, taking hold of the handkerchief from the woman's hand and dabbing at her eyes. "Why are you upset?"

"Oh, honey, I'm not upset. It's just seeing you all grown up..." she replied gently, smiling down at the young girl in front of her and stroking back a wisp of hair. "You look amazing."

Danny couldn't muster words, so instead just flung her arms around the weeping woman and kissed her cheek, laughing slightly as she considered how much of a change this was when compared to last year. Genevieve must have been thinking the same, as she was the one who voiced it.

"I remember when you tried biting my hand off, I never thought I'd get a hug and a kiss after that."

They both laughed, and Logan and Kali looked on with small smiles on their faces.

Then a bell chimed from inside the castle, making Danny jump out of her skin and making Logan laugh at her.

"It's time to get ready," he said, pressing a bouquet of red roses into her hands. "You're getting married now."

She nodded, and the four of them proceeded through the now empty halls to the main door, descending the stone steps and walking down the road to the market place. It was slow work, and the bell kept tolling as they approached the square. The houses either side of the road were decked with white banners and roses, and a long white carpet had been rolled out to the clock tower where Ben was stood waiting. Genevieve took a seat in one of the isles, while Kali took her left side and Logan took her right. The place looked amazing. She felt like royalty.

* * *

He'd spent hours trying to dress himself properly, but couldn't seem to remember which foot was left and right, and it took him sitting down and making himself a cup of tea to settle his nerves and figure out what was going on properly. He dressed himself in a freshly pressed, clean Soldier's uniform. He'd pulled on his long grey trousers, then a crisp white shirt which he tucked into his trousers before pulling the braces up onto his shoulders. His socks were next, then his boots which he tucked his pants into. So far so good. His shirt was buttoned up to his neck, so then he proceeded in getting his jacket on. It wasn't his normal jacket, bloodstained and ripped that he used for battle. Instead he'd decided it was a good time to get out his decoration jacket. It was the brightest red, with a yellow front, golden buttons decorated the front while bright shiny medals decorated his chest. He took some time shining his boots, combing his hair and making himself look presentable, before heading out to his wedding.

A wedding ceremony with Balverines and human beings mixing together was just a complete shock to the system. He'd laughed for a good ten minutes when he'd arrived in the market place to find Damien directing Balverines to rooftops and along the outside of the isles of chairs, and then welcomed the alpha of the Silverpines pack with a large hug and then kissed Genevieve on the cheek. The sun seemed to be shining brighter today than it had for weeks, and people were emerging from their houses to join in the festivities. Walter was milling through the crowd, welcoming people and directing them to the seats, then a loud tolling bell chimed and he looked up, realising it was now.

Damien kept his eye, shaking his head until it was time for him to turn and see his bride come down the isle. And when Damien nodded he almost had to stop himself turning too quickly. Careful not to look too eager, he turned but his jaw dropped anyway, his blue eyes widened considerably, and his heart missed a beat. The woman approaching him was just... words failed him. Danny looked like an angel and he braced himself a little, reminding himself not to kiss her now.

The alpha Balverine was on one side, while Logan had her other arm. When they reached the tower, he stepped down, looking into her beautiful face and accepting her hand as Logan passed her on to him. He clasped both her hands in his, one corner of his mouth rising in the most awestruck smile he'd ever felt grace his face.

"You look amazing," he whispered, as Damien proceeded to start the ceremony. "I... I can't believe you've agreed to wear that dress."

"Do you like it?" she asked quickly and quietly, a flicker of worry in her eyes.

"I love it," he reassured her, grinning. "You just don't normally wear things that are constricting."

"You're the one that has to take it off me later," she muttered, "I don't understand how to."

"I'll figure it out," Ben chuckled, looking into her wide green eyes and feeling more calm than he had all morning.

And they said their "I do's" then he wrapped his arm around her waist, laced the fingers of his other hand into the curls of her hair, and pulled her close for a long tender kiss to the rapturous cheers of the crowds.


	76. Wedding Gift

Here's another chapter, for all my readers :) just nine more chapters, we're on the countdown now

please review x

* * *

The party was held in the largest ballroom the castle had, large enough for all the people who'd gone to the wedding and all the Balverines too. They milled about, children playing with cubs while all the mothers watched over them carefully making sure their children were not bitten and that their cubs did not bite. It was going very well, and atop the high table, with close friends and family, sat Danny and Ben. Page had arrived and given Danny a gun, of all things. But it was small, quick to load and very well balanced. In a fight she wouldn't have a problem pulling that out and shooting her enemy, and it saved her getting into a fistfight and having to break someone's neck. Sabine turned up with luxury furs from the Dwellers, offering them to the new couple with a laugh saying that they could use them next winter, should they see it.

Walter gave Ben an expensive bottle of whiskey, while giving Danny an old vintage bottle of wine. They accepted them happily, Ben clasping the older man's hand in a firm handshake while Danny flung her arms around him, pecking him on the cheek and thanking him earnestly.

Kalin was there, sat in the corner looking slightly weary of the partying, looking tired and worried. Danny approached her not long after the party kicked off and asked the woman if she was okay. She nodded, then seemed to remember something and instead of pulling out a nicely wrapped gift, she unpinned a brooch from her silken shawl.

It was a wolf, silver making the outer shape of it's body while amber stones filled it to add colour and depth. It was wonderful, and Danny immediately thanked the Auroran and went to show Ben the small, simple, elegant gift.

It was in the early hours of the morning when she began feeling ill, and having not drunk any alcohol she couldn't attribute the sickness to anything other than being tired, so asked her new husband if she could excuse herself in light of the circumstances.

He was tipsy, only accepting the odd pint from close friends, but upon seeing her in that state and it being their wedding night, he excused the both of them and helped her down the hall to their accommodation.

She lay face down on the bed while he unbuttoned the majority of the clasps, slipped the cardigan off her torso and took her dress off her. She was left then in her wedding night underwear and the garter, as he lay her on her back and examined her. She looked pale and tired, and he didn't think the corset was helping any.

"Come here love," he whispered, sitting her up so she was resting on one half of his torso and with his spare arm he pulled at the strings on the back to loosen it and take it off her. She sighed happily and lay down again, but then suddenly her face paled further and she sprang up and bolted for the bathroom, crouching by the porcelain sink and emptying the contents of her stomach into it violently. He was on her heels as she went and in a sweeping motion he'd gathered her hair up and held it out of the way, rubbing her back as comfortingly as he could until she'd finished, her body trembling and small soft sobs escaping from her lips.

She sank to the ground, and he knelt beside her, scooping her up into his arms and rocking her gently, shushing her and kissing her clammy forehead as she sobbed into his shirt.

"Baby, calm down," he whispered, feeling genuinely concerned about his new bride. She was curled up, helpless in his arms and vulnerable. He shook himself and decided he should probably cover her modesty for her, and it would probably help keep her warm.

He carried her back to the bed, and put his shirt on her for her to sleep in. she was out like a light, but there was one thing he couldn't help but notice as he pulled his shirt over her head and down her body, something he couldn't believe he hadn't seen before.

The ever so slight swell of her stomach.

* * *

The attack was but a month away, and Ben had taken Danny back to Brightwall. It was thought that the place the Crawler would attack most would be Bowerstone, being the heart of all activity and where they main figurehead lived.

He'd also taken her out of the city and to the rural town because she'd taken ill, and was throwing up several times a day, laying on the floor moaning in pain and screaming profanities at him in her Balverine tongue. He put up with it, because he loved her, she was now his wife and in all technicality, it was his fault she'd ended up like this.

He knew when she'd conceived their unborn child, it was under the bridge in Bowerstone all those months ago, and he'd remembered than in his rush to have his way with her he'd completely forgotten about using any form of protection against pregnancy. Her stomach to his utter bewilderment had swollen rapidly over the last month since their marriage, and he had speculated that perhaps there was more than one child growing in her womb, and he'd maybe soon find himself the father to twins or – Avo forbid – triplets.

It was only when she was being sick that she got upset with him, and when her stomach settled and she wasn't spewing into a bucket she was quite calm and content, curling into his arms and resting a hand protectively on her stomach, talking about naming the child they were going to have, speculating about the gender and their baby's personality, their mood and which parent they'd take after most. He talked to her about how he could imagine raising them.

"Oh, but they're going to be little trouble makers," he told her one day, stoking the fire and wrapping a blanket around her shoulders, protecting her from the cold that came with the gale outside. End of spring showers, and these were terrible. "They'll be climbing trees faster than you, and wanting to learn how to shoot like me."

"You think so?" she asked, her eyes half lidded as she became more and more drowsy.

"Course I do," he laughed, sitting in his large armchair and coaxing her over to his knee. When she was sat comfortably with her head resting in the crook of her neck so he could feel her warm breath tickling his stubble. "And we'll have more kids after this one. Two boys and a girl and they'll all have brown hair and blue eyes, except the one girl who's the spitting image of you. Eyes and all."

He could feel her nodding slightly, and he ran his fingers through her hair comfortingly. She'd been quiet recently and he realised she was thinking about something. It was then when she decided to tell him what was playing on her mind.

"Ben, what if I'm not a good mother?" she asked, her voice cracking and thick with emotion. It took him by surprise as it came as a genuine shock to him as she'd always seemed so maternal with other children and cubs in the Balverine pack, and she'd always wanted to be a mother. Now she was questioning it and he didn't have a clue why.

"You will be... you're going to be amazing," he said quietly, tilting her chin up and kissing her lips gently. "If anyone's got to be worried about their parental instincts, it's me. I probably already have children and I haven't managed to take care of one of them."

"You'll take care of this one though, right?" she whispered, and he nodded, all seriousness written in his face.

"I wouldn't dream of doing otherwise," he reassured her, feeling shame pressing at his chest. "I need to do right by you and this baby..."

"You will," she yawned, and in an instant she was asleep on his lap, and all Ben could do was spend the rest of the night stroking her hair whilst staring into the dying embers of the fire.


	77. The Start

Enjoy the chapter, just another eight to go :)

And please review x

* * *

The skies grew darker every day. Danny wandered from her home tucked away in the nest of trees on the outskirts of Brightwall and went to the edge of the valley sweeping out before her, watching the dim sun cast it's feeble rays over the town of Brightwall, cresting over the library in the distance and showering a little light on the place.

Her hands were resting protectively over her swollen stomach, and she smiled slightly as she thought of the life growing inside her, something only she and Ben could have created. She liked to imagine what the baby would look like, with big blue eyes like Ben, a mess of golden brown hair and maybe have her love for the outdoors. She didn't care if the baby was a boy or girl, though she imagined Ben secretly really wanted a boy himself. Someone to teach to shoot and rough house with and teach to be a man. He'd be just as good with a daughter though, fiercely overprotective, loving beyond words and so caring and compassionate. He'd be a good father, she knew.

Her fingers twisted the rings on her left hand, spinning them around while she thought about how it was only yesteryear when she met the man, and how she'd vowed to hate him and kill him. How she'd been stunned by how he looked, with golden hair and startling blue eyes, how his attitude could change in an instant from happy and laughing to deadly serious and fierce. She hadn't imagined she'd ever forgive him, let alone marry him. But it was the best thing she could have done. She was positively beaming with happiness when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and hands settled over hers on her stomach. She didn't jump or move, she recognised his smell and his touch and leaned backwards into his chest as he kissed her neck lovingly.

"Morning sweetheart," he whispered huskily into her ear, she bit her lip and twisted in his arms, facing her new husband before standing on her tip toes and kissing him passionately on the lips, ignoring the way his stubble scratched at her chin.

"Morning," she replied, hugging him close while minding the bump between them both.

"I have to head into town to get something, are you okay here on your own?"

"Course I am, I can take care of myself," she laughed, breaking away from him and smiling up into his handsome face, her chest swelling with happiness she couldn't explain nor found the need to. He took her inside and made them both a cup of tea, hers sweetened with honey which she'd found she'd liked more and more as the pregnancy wore on, and they spoke softly to one another, her settled next to him on the sofa they had while his arm was curled about her body and his hand rubbing gentle circles over her stomach.

When it was a decent time, Ben got up to leave, pulling on his boots and a jacket to brace himself against the cold winds sweeping over the valley, and he kissed her goodbye, telling her he loved her.

Danny watched him go, before turning and deciding to refuel the fire since the cold was nipping at her toes inside the house. She tossed a few of the smaller logs on, along with a few pieces of screwed up paper to act as kindling. Just as the fire got started, as the heat made her face flush red and the fire roared up suddenly, then it went out just as quickly in a sudden gust of wind.

The room chilled, the hairs on the back of her neck shot up, and she felt an overwhelming sense of dread clutch at her. A weight appeared at her shoulder, and she shuddered as long thick claws dug in there. She knew what it was before she even looked, and because of that could not bring herself to turn around and face her fears.

"_You_," it started, it's cruel voice sending sharp pains through her skull and making her squirm. "_You are the light Albion has so desperately clung to._"

It was then she looked around and she could feel the colour drain from her as she looked up at the towering form of the Crawler, it's eyes focused on her as it's shadow children whipped around the room, upturning chairs and the table and ripping curtains to shreds. The crockery went flying across the room and every possession she and Ben owned was destroyed before her eyes.

"_Without you, the King, his brother, and your beloved soldier husband will fall before me, and then nothing will stand in my way._"

The claws digging into her shoulder gripped harder, eliciting a sharp and agonising cry from her as they pierced the skin and blood oozed from her, dripping to the floor.

"_You will become one of my followers. You will consume yourself in Darkness, and you will watch your precious lands fall before you._" The final words ended in a high pitched cackle, and Danny screamed as the shadows grabbed her from all sides, the touch of them burning her skin as she fought to escape. The pain was blinding, her head spun, his vision was clouded, and then there was nothing but Darkness itself.

* * *

Something didn't settle right in Ben's stomach as he made his way around the town, shopping for more groceries and going to the blacksmiths for more ammo for his gun. Along the way he'd ran into Logan, who greeted him happily as any friend would and asked him how married life was treating him. Of course as he was Danny's best friend (something he'd never quite figured out, since Danny had pent up such a hatred for him in the first months of knowing him) he knew all about the pregnancy and how the girl was coping. He knew her cravings and habits better than he did, but only because most of his time was spent travelling to and from Bowerstone to finish plans for the armies and send the first lot of troops off to their different posts to help keep Albion safe from the oncoming Darkness.

"She didn't throw up this morning then?" he asked, smiling as they crossed back over the bridge to his cottage, holding a bag full of vegetables each.

"No, she got up and went outside for some air though. I think it helps settle her stomach."

"Well, it would, really. Something familiar to her to keep her calm, after all she did grow up in the wilderness," Logan laughed, but the smile faded from his face as he looked onwards down the path.

Ben felt it too, the shiver of something unnatural filled his stomach, and his gulped nervously as he tried to think of something to say. Logan did first though, putting the bag on the floor hesitantly.

"Can you feel that?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

And there was some dark aura lingering about, and a curt nod was all Ben could muster before dropping his wares unceremoniously on the ground and pulling out his sword, which he'd taken to carrying everywhere with him nowadays. He ran forward, Logan close on his heels drawing his own sword, but the sight before them as they burst through the doors of the cottage froze them still, shocked them and made them gawk in horror.

"Danny!" Ben bellowed, starting through the ransacked house, stepping over broken dishes and kicking aside the splintered chairs. "Danny are you here?!" he cried, a feeling of complete helplessness gripping him and he stopped to take deep breaths before hyperventilation kicked in. He was normally calm in such situations but now he couldn't help but panic.

"Ben, come here," Logan called, his voice hoarse. And Ben went, quickly, stepping over his broken belongings and everything he'd worked so hard to gain for himself and his wife. Logan was crouched in front of the fireplace, his head bowed as he inspected something on the floor. The room was clearest here, and he could only suspect Danny had been here when whatever it was had attacked the house. "Ben look at this..."

Stooping, he saw a dark shining puddle, and he stuck his fingers into the warm liquid. Lifting his hand up close to his eye he saw the red substance, the coppery smell about it only confirmed his worst fears, and before he could process what was happening he was outside, walking towards Mistpeaks, his blood burning with anger.

"I'm going to Bowerstone!" he yelled furiously at Logan, who followed looking pale and as heartbroken as he felt. "I'll have a party out by tonight, I'm not going to stop," he paused and turned to the royal, who now looked startled but stayed in his speechless state. "And mark my words, I'm going to kill the bastard who did this. I will find him, and I will kill him."


	78. It's Coming

not many chapters left people! Here you go :D

* * *

He found one of the Silverpines Balverines down in Mistpeaks, and managed to roughly explain to him that he needed to get to Bowerstone as soon as possible. Ben couldn't be sure the Balverine understood him, and for a moment they stared at one another speechlessly, but then it crouched on it's haunches and cocked it's head as if telling him to climb on, which he did, and they flew away, faster than anything he'd ever experienced.

And the Balverine didn't seem to tire, nor did it seem bothered by the perpetual rain that came down about an hour into their journey. Ben could only cling onto it's sodden fur and keep his head down save the rain lash against his face like tiny razor blades. And no sooner did the journey seem to start had it ended, and he was dismounting the creature at the gates to Bowerstone. He thanked it and petted it on the head, like some large dog, and it nuzzled his face gently before turning and loping away.

He turned then on his heel and strode right through the gates, up through the bow bustling market place and through the wrought iron gates to the castle. He let himself in through the door, ignoring the soldiers that leapt to attention as he came forward and the strange looks he received from people staring at his sodden clothing.

Ben barged through the doors to the map room, making Damien and his new butler jump out of their skin and Walter fall from his chair landing with a pained 'oomph' on the floor.

"Danny's been taken," he announced to the room, receiving three shocked stares back. "I went into town to buy more food and when I came back the house had been ransacked and she was gone."

"Are... are you sure?" Damien asked, his voice a hoarse whisper, his face as pale as Logan's had been.

"No, she was hid behind the curtain," Ben mocked sarcastically, "Course I'm bloody sure! There was blood on the floor and my pregnant wife is missing!"

Walter was the first to react, calling one of the soldiers in and scribbling a message down on a piece of paper.

"Copy that up and send it to the troops in Mistpeaks, Brightwall and the Dweller Camp, we're looking for a young girl," he passed the message on and turned back to Ben. "Was there anything strange about the house when you got there?"

And Ben paused, thinking about the dark aura about the place and the sense of foreboding and his everything clicked into place. Everything he'd ignored in his haste to find Danny was thrown back at him and he nearly dropped to the floor as it hit him, winding him like a punch to the stomach.

"It was the Crawler..." he gasped, dropping himself into the nearest chair and shoving his face into his hands. "That bastard monster came and took her..."

"How? It's not due here for another three weeks!" Damien cried, looking angry and frustrated.

"It wasn't due here any time Damien!" Ben shouted, standing abruptly and squaring up to the King "but it didn't stop it hanging around in the chambers under Brightwall Academy months ago did it? It's stronger than we thought, I think it's going to attack sooner than we guessed."

"And what do you think it took Danny for?" the King asked, his voice quiet.

"I... don't know."

They both sat down then, Ben looking to the floor with his hands tangled in his hair, frustrated and angry. It was then that the butler spoke up.

"Perhaps, if I may say so, the Crawler has taken your wife to toy with you emotionally?" said the butler, hands clasped in front of him and his face solemn.

"You think so Jasper?" Damien asked, looking up from the fireplace at his servant and friend.

"If the General of the Albion army is preoccupied then that would certainly be an advantage for the monster, and not to mention she is a close friend of yours too, sire. I think the Crawler is using her as a pawn to get to you both."

Ben could feel his heart sinking lower and lower. If Danny was being used by the Crawler to get to him, then he didn't know what state she'd be in. If the thing was even keeping her alive. What would be the merits of doing that, since she'd only grow weaker anyway or need some sustenance to keep her going. More since she was with child...

He could picture her, broken and bloodied, lying on some cold floor with that thing cackling above her. It made him feel sick and he found himself retching slightly, before a hand was placed gently on his shoulder. Looking up he saw Walter, his face pale and his eyes darkened with lack of sleep and abundance of stress.

"We'll find her," he said gently, but Ben could hear the note of doubt in his gruff voice, and lost all hope for a second. It didn't mean that he'd stop looking though, it only meant that when he did come face to face with the Crawler, he'd have the immense pleasure of ripping it apart limb from limb.

* * *

She was shivering in the dark and the cold, her eyes blind again so she couldn't see what was going on around her. She could feel the shadows slithering about her though, gripping at her arms and brushing against her stomach. Every time she felt that she'd wrench away violently, and growl low in her throat towards wherever the feeling came from. She shadows would titter and laugh and go in to do it again, but then the deep booming voice of the Crawler stopped them.

"_Children, enough... we don't want her to come to any harm... yet._"

Her breath rattled in the back of her throat, and she curled up in a ball, her arms curling protectively around her bump as she lay on her side on the cold stones.

She thought to herself of Ben, and if he'd be worrying about her and looking for her. She didn't even know if he'd found out she was missing, as she had no concept of time or space or any knowledge of her surroundings. It felt like it had been years though, and she sniffled slightly, holding back a sob as she thought of his golden hair and beautiful eyes. Danny tried casting her mind to happier thoughts, remembering curling into him in bed, warm and safe and loved. How she'd always swing her leg over his, her arm draped across his chest and her head nuzzled into his neck, leaving enough space for him to turn and kiss her sweetly.

Then a sharp pain lashed against her cheek and she screamed out indignantly, her eyes opening to try and look at the attacker. It was hopeless, the Darkness had taken her sight and she may as well have kept them closed for all the use opening them had done.

"_We can't have you having happy thoughts,_" hissed the Crawler, it's words lacing themselves into her mind and shooting across her skull, making tears sting her eyes and a low moan escape her throat. "_That's better,_" it cooed, chuckling darkly.

"Let me go," she croaked, her voice weak and helpless as the Crawler and it's children laughed aloud, mocking her, repeating her words over and over, becoming more shrill and bitter each time they rung around her head, until it all stopped and a high pitched ring was left in her ears.

"_No... no we can't do that yet. But don't worry child, the pain will end soon..._"


	79. Losing

Here's yes another chapter :D So, so close to the end my friends! It's unreal how long I've been posting this!

ShortOne33 - I'm going to be sad when it ends too

* * *

The sand blew in in flurries, and soon the cobbled streets of Bowerstone looked more like a desert. It made every man, woman and child in the city tremble, but there was still no sign of the Crawler or it's minions anywhere in Albion.

Ben was sat on the cold steps of the clock tower, looking out over the turrets of the Bowerstone walls which were meant to be protective, but he figured would provide very little shelter in this upcoming battle. Damien was stood beside him, silent as ever.

"When do you think it's coming?" Ben asked quietly, continuing to squint out at the blazing yellow sun, not something Albion was used to. It was fierce, and a dark orange shade. It was warm, but made him want to hide and take shelter. Made him want to turn and run away. It was obviously something the Crawler made to scare the people of Albion, and it was something he'd fight his hardest to put right.

"I've got word from Aurora. The Crawler attacked there yesterday... not many casualties, but it's coming to Albion, and it's getting worse."

They both looked out upon the town. There were very few people walking about, one woman was ushering her child back indoors, one man sweeping sand out of his house. No shop owners were opening their stalls... most people were spending what they thought were their final days with their families.

"Calm before the storm..." he whispered, ignoring Damien's confused glance as he stood and walked away, over the bridge which soldiers were starting to block off from the public. It was the most direct route into town, and would divert the Crawlers army to the side, crushing them against the side streets and slowing them down...

At least, that was the aim. Ben thought it was stupid, how do you stop shadows?

His mind was wandering, wondering about his wife, his unborn child, and how he'd failed them. Logan had arrived a day after himself, having stayed to raise awareness of the event in the town and help spread search parties. He's spent hour upon hour trying to convince Ben that it wasn't his fault that Danny had been taken, it was something he couldn't have known about nor stopped.

But it was the same old thing... people that got too close to him always seemed to die.

His brothers, his parents, Swift and now the girl he loved. He didn't have the heart to hope she was still alive, since he knew what the Crawler was capable of. He hadn't wanted to get his hopes up, only to have them shredded down. He took comfort only in the thought that he could kill that monster and spit in it's face as it lay dying in the streets. The very least he could let himself imagine was she actually be alive after all... but he wasn't expecting too much.

His eyes wandered over to a small house, one of the poorer ones in the market place, where a man was kissing his wife on the lips and pulling his children into warm loving hugs. He recognised him as a soldier departing for Silverpines, and nodded respectfully to him as he passed, the other man tipping his own hat. Ben turned his steely gaze back to the man's family, wondering if the woman was thinking about the possibility of losing her husband to this war. Wondering if the children would be forced to grow up without a father figure in their lives, or if possibly the soldier who just left would live, but come home to find his family dead...

The sadness of it overwhelmed him, and he took off down the street, ignoring Damien's distant calls or the odd homeless person look at him fly by in shock. He found himself climbing his old ladder in Industrial, the factories shut, the air less smoggy but dry and bitter on his tongue. He found himself on top of his old apartment, screaming into the sky with hot furious tears streaming down his face. He punched the chimney nearest to him, ignoring the shooting pain in his knuckles and instead hitting it again, losing the will each time and slouching down onto the hot tiles, sobbing out his anger and frustration. He'd not felt like this since losing his father, his last living relative. He hadn't felt like he'd failed so badly in his life before until that point.

He must have stayed there for an hour, sniffling, curled up into a ball. He couldn't have cared less.

He'd lost her. He's lost his baby.

He'd lost.

* * *

Her eyesight had returned to her gradually, but it didn't help much, as the chamber she was being held in was so dark she might as well have stayed blind. An odd eerie glow emanated from something at the end of the hall, and she got up slowly, shakily, to her feet. Her arms wrapped protectively around her midsection, keeping her stomach covered just in case something lashed out at her.

And she took a small step, ignoring the pains in her legs which had been unused for a few days. She felt limp and weak, but went on anyway, ignoring the hushed whispers of the shadows and the hisses that followed her.

She came up to stand beside the Crawler, looking over it's own crude map of Albion and all the places it was going to attack. It noticed her but shrugged off the fact she was staring up at it and went back to it's studies.

"Why did you take me?" she croaked, his fingers clutching her sides as the shadows slid theirs along her arms before the Crawler warned them off again.

"_I have my reasons,_" it muttered, it's mouth not moving an inch, so Danny assumed it was talking directly into her own mind. It was strange, but she grew to accept it, and pressed on anyway.

"What are you going to do to me?"

"_You will die, eventually_," it hissed, it's voice becoming shrill for a second in her mind and making her wince, before it went quiet again, deathly soft. "_You may want your rest. Death really takes the energy out of you._"

And cackles erupted around the chamber, and Danny accepted it, knowing that blocking her ears would only make it stronger, louder, more cruel.

She went back to her corner, sighing and whispering reassuringly to the growing life inside her before hunching up against the wall and falling into a fitful sleep.


	80. The Battle

Only five chapters left my friends, I hope you enjoy the ending, and it's been great, however long this has taken xD

Please review

* * *

"General! The Crawlers attacking Silverpines and Millfields now, it's heading for Bowerstone as we speak!"

"Noted, back to your post, quickly!" Ben yelled over the panicked screams of the townspeople, the firing of guns and as he ran down the halls of the castle in his uniform he realised that it was already here. Sand blew up into his face as he ran outside and he stopped only momentarily to wipe it out of his eyes. Damien was at his side in seconds, readied for the battle, and there was Walter, Logan and Page, looking fierce and commanding, ready for the fight.

"This is it," Damien said, his voice loud, booming and authoritative. "This is the end."

Ben ignored him, thinking to himself that the King's little outburst seemed somewhat morbid and negative. He instead took to looking down the slope over the town which looked washed out, pale and just... dead, screams echoing and clashes of metal on metal ringing through the air. The sky was black, the sun blocked out, and he wanted to rush down there into the fight.

Shadows seemed to be creeping up the hill towards them, and then figures started to emerge from it.

"_This children are hungry..._" the voice whispered in his ear, sending chills through his bones.

He made to take a step away but his feet seemed rooted to the ground, and when he looked down he saw a thick black tar like substance had seeped from between the cobbles, eerie purple cracks forming in it, making it bubble up his calves and take hold of him. The blond only just felt Damien grab his upper arm and pull him back and out of the substance when something shot up from it, like lightening but not bright, not normal, and more evil. Shadowy minions burst forth from the shadows and the children climbed out in hoards from the goo, crying out, his head splitting as they did and a dozen hurtful things, reminding him about how he has failed his wife, how he'll never know the face of the child ran through his mind. A large metal contraption appeared, and raised it's spear, screeching a war cry. Damien was the first to raise his gun, but before he could shoot there was a piercing howl and there were Balverines, slashing at the thing, ripping it apart and tearing through the hoards of minions.

"Come on!" Ben yelled, finding his voice suddenly, charging forward before anything else could stop them. They ploughed through, watching on as Balverines and soldiers sliced down the attacking minions, allowing them easy pass through the town. Words were piercing his mind, and it was almost too much to bare.

"_Are you thinking of your loved ones now? How you will never see them again?_" a voice whispered in his ear, and he yelled aloud and swatted sideways, imagining the Crawler there, lurking about.

"Ignore it Ben!" Walter cried, pushing on. He must be hearing words too, his eyes were squinting and he had a pained expression on his face. It continued to scream at him, but that only spurred him on, made him want to kill it, made him furious.

They broke through into the market place, having to dive sideways down alleys to get through the wreckage of broken buildings and broken bodies. The woman he'd seen days before was laying face up to the dark sky, shock on her face as a spike had been driven through her chest. Blood seeped from her body, and her life was pouring away onto the cobbles of the street. Her children were screaming for her as soldiers carried them away, anguish on their faces as they watched their mother die before them.

"_See them die? Hear their death? We feast on the sounds of your demise. The sounds of throats torn,and of bones broken... we thank you for their deaths... General._"

He cried out in frustration and ran on, pulling out his pistol and shooting one of the great metal things in it's neck, sending it feeling back as Damien forced lightning through it, shattering it into a million pieces.

They fought through, ignoring the blood spatters on the street and the bodies littering the town. Passing by the empty faces of those soldiers who'd fought and lost, who were still fighting in vain for their lives despite fatal wounds.

One person caught his eye, and he turned to see Jason, looking ragged and tired on the side of the street, clutching a great bloody gaping hole in his side.

"Hey General," he choked, looking pained and gasping for air. Ben couldn't bring himself to leave this boy here to die alone, and though Damien shot him a reproachful look her went and crouched beside the lad.

"Jason... you look shit," he said, not knowing what else to say.

"I feel it," he laughed, though a flash a pain shot across his face. He overcame it though, and his voice softened considerably as he continued. "Hey, General... I heard your lady got taken by the bastard. I'm sorry to hear it."

"I'm fighting to get her back," Ben whispered, sadness clutching at him as he watched the boy fighting for life.

"Good man..." Jason chuckled, his face paling by the second. "You know, I always wanted to go out in battle, you know? Fighting for something worth fighting for. It's not all it's chalked up to be though."

"It never is," Ben laughed, trying to stop himself crying over the loss of this boy, watching his eyelids flutter.

"Ah well, way I look at it is, I'd rather go out doing good for people... ya know what I mean?"

Ben nodded helplessly, before a thought struck him and he reached for a flask as his waist, pulling it from his belt and opening it, pressing it to the boys lips. Damien had passed him the hip flask roughly an hour ago as they awaited the attack, telling him it would help him if the worst came to the worst. It was the last of the healing potion he'd had, and he decided now that he'd deal with the consequences later should he need it.

"Drink it."

And the boy did, with his last ounce of strength he gulped down the thick liquid and coughed on it, looking up to Ben with horror in his eyes. But the colour was slowly returning to his face, and the wound in his side seemed to shrink before their eyes, but it didn't change the expression on his face.

"What the hell was that?!" he cried, shoving the flask away. "Hobbe piss?"

But then his expression changed, and he dived forward with surprising force for a man who had been seconds from death, and knocked Ben sideways.

"Look out!"

And then a large black Balverine was stood above them, and Ben felt his heart drop through his stomach. And as a unit, they all turned tail and ran for the plaza, the great black beast following them.

"I thought they were on our side?!" cried Page, turning and looking at the Balverine before diving behind the brick wall of the bridge, taking cover.

Ben froze on the spot, fear seeming to turn his legs to lead and as much as he wanted to turn tail and run, he found he was unable to. He looked up at the huge beast, taller than any other Balverine he'd seen before by at least five feet. It's body looked too long, and not curved but straight backed. It's limbs longer and more curved than they should be. It's fur... wasn't fur. The black Balverine was actually just a mass of shadows come together to form some twisted enemy. It was like black fire flickering back and forth. But something was wrong, besides it being a huge terrifying shadow monster, something seemed off about the whole thing...

And he saw the sad glint in shining emerald eyes and he gaped, his blood froze, and he felt sick.

"Danny?"

Large emerald eyes stared back at him. They did not mirror the anger and fierce nature of the beast, instead they looked sad and helpless. Then it opened it's mouth and a garbled mess came out, before two voices mingled together and shot fear and anger down his spine, making the hair on his body stand on end.

"_Help me Ben!_" it screeched, the mocking voice of the Crawler mingling with the helpless cry of Danny, and for a moment the thing seemed to be fighting with itself before it roared and dived for him, and he had to leap sideways to avoid being gutted.

"_You've done such terrible things... you should surrender now. Your loved ones will rejoice in your end. You don't deserve her._" The Crawler mocked again, it's shadows forcing Danny to take another swing at him. A quick glance at everyone told him they heard it's words too, but the beast of fire and shadow was just too great a threat, and even Damien was raising his gun.

"Don't shoot!" he yelled, shoving Damien to the side to stop his actions. "It's Danny! It's warped her!"

"It's not Danny in this state!" Page yelled, aiming her own gun and firing off a round at the shadowy Balverine. She missed, but the creature turned it's head in her direction.

It went to strike her, but the arm faltered, and it drew back, crumpling in on itself and whimpering. Then Danny's voice rang out, clear as crystal, screaming for him.

"Stop it Ben, stop it!"

And his heart wrenched, and he wanted with all his life to stop that thing controlling and hurting her, but couldn't bring himself to strike it knowing she was in there somewhere.

* * *

She fought with the black monster. It was like it had a hand clutching tightly on her heart and her sight kept faltering, going black when she knew it was overpowering her and attacking her friends and family. She managed to get a grip for a moment, screaming for Ben, screaming for him to stop the monster.

"Stop it Ben, stop it!"

And she saw the look on his face, the horror of what was happening gripping him, and his arms hung limply at his sides as he fought with his conscious over what to do. Her heart clenched for him, and for a second the Crawler screamed in her ears and bellowed for her to attack him, but she didn't. She looked at her husband, the father of the life growing inside her, and she longed then to be in his arms at home, curled into him and safe from all this. She longed to tell him she loved him and she willed herself to fight this thing controlling her and warping her looks to something fearsome to the others.

"Ben, please..." she gasped, before a bullet lodged itself in her shoulder in her back, and she lost control again. It was all dark, and the cackle shrieked about her. She could feel her body lurching about and feel her arms forcibly striking out, until she focused and regained control again. Logan was below her, her arm hovering above to strike a fatal blow, and she reeled back as his frightened brown eyes bored into hers. The Crawler was weakening about her, and she could feel it searching for a different host, for someone new to control. She jumped with all her might and landed outside the plaza, staggering with the force of landing momentarily before the shadows around her went and she could see clearly again, and she fell sideways to hit the wall.

Then there were arms around her, a voice whispering in her ear as she looked up and saw Ben crouched above her, pulling her in for a deep kiss and whispering in her ear how he'd never let her go again. Logan was stood above him, a deep gash in his leg making him lean heavily on the young soldier with them.

Something niggled at her mind. She knew who the weakest one of them was, a man not physically hurt but his soul was stained. As her vision was fading, she looked up into those bright blue pools that were Ben's eyes and whispered to him, her voice shaking with exhaustion and fear;

"Wa-Walter..."


	81. the Death Of Walter

4 Chapters left my friends :) Reviews are, as ever, appreciated. Sorry if this lasted too long for a couple of you, but believe me I cut it down from what it was before I edited the story xD I would have come to over 100 chapters, and I managed to smash it down to 85.

Anyways, not long left. I'm getting the feels.

* * *

She blacked out, her breathing slowing so much it took him a moment to register whether she was still alive or not, a moment filled with panic and dread, where he had to press his ear to her chest to heart her heart thudding gently beneath her ribs, and hear the rattling breaths she was taking.

Then a cry from behind him startled him, a woman's scream, and he looked to see Page being tossed over the side of the bridge into the murky waters of the river by Walter, something which shocked him to the core. Jason had leapt the wall over to the banks, landed squarely on his feet and Ben had to admire his spirit, especially for someone who would have otherwise been dead now. He swam out to Page and dragged her back to the shore on the opposite side, both of them sputtering.

He turned back to look at the spectacle before him, and realised that there was something odd about the older man, his eyes were ringed with black, he was hunched over, and he had both his sword and his pistol drawn, seemingly intent on finishing Damien off. Logan was trying to shove his way through some force that had been placed over the archway. He stood up quickly, leaving Danny curled up against the wall, as he watched the fight between the two men.

"Walter!" he shouted, barging into the hazy purple shield before being thrown back. "I-I can't get through."

"It's no use, the shield is too damn strong!" Logan shouted, frustration etched into the deep crevices on his forehead, anger pent up inside him. "The Crawler just... just possessed him. It's making him attack Damien."

And for what seemed to last an agonising eternity, they watch Damien fight Walter; his mentor and the man who had been his father figure for half his life. At first he merely blocked the blows, deflecting them to the side and moving away, begging Walter to fight back and regain control of himself, shooting desperate glances at Danny's limp figure, as if willing her to leap up and give him the answers to taking back their own body. It was only when Walter made the same desperate plea Danny had, breaking through momentarily and shouting out in his own exhausted and terrified voice;

"Don't hold back!"

But this plea was not one for help, was not asking for the King to help him. It was begging to be destroyed. Somewhere in the deep recesses of Walters mind, in his innermost conscious he had accepted that to defeat the Crawler he had to die too.

"I'm ready!"

Ben could feel his stomach lurch, and Logan's hand clasped his shoulder tightly, though it was more to support the royal himself than to offer comfort. Both men had the heart wrenching task of watching the man they'd grown up loving beg for death by the hands of one of his closest companion of the past two years. The man who was like a son to Walter too. They were forced to watch as his eyes turned yet again from that deep, wise brown to pits of black, and he let out a blood curdling yell as he charged again at Damien.

"_I have killed so many of you already, why fight any longer?_" the gross twisted words in Walter's voice pierced his brain, and Ben let out a moan as Logan visibly flinched away from the sound, and all Damien could do was stand his ground.

The Crawler made Walter charge at Damien, who in defence lifted his sword, only to drive it through the man's stomach.

Ben felt his throat ripping up before he realised he was screaming for Walter, Logan had slumped to the side, collapsed on his knees as he saw the worst that could possibly happen come real.

With a screech the Crawler materialised outside Walter's body again, dissolving in a fit of black fire and turning to dust. In that instant the skies calmed, the raging winds around them stopped, and the air around Bowerstone seemed so still, and so silent that it was as if death had gripped it and stripped it of life.

It started raining then, at first it was barely spitting, but then it came down in torrents. They watched as when it came into contact with the sand it merely disintegrated, as if it had never been there. The remains of the minions, went up in black flame like the Crawler had and the children dissipated into the air, shadows no more. The bodies of the dead still littered the streets, the sounds of people wailing as they found their loved ones deceased. Looking up, Ben could see Page clutching Jason, could hear her sobbing loudly as she'd seen Walter killed from across the bridge.

Ben could feel as though he'd failed, but stumbled forwards to hear Walter say his final words to the King. Then his lids fluttered shut, his chest stopped heaving and his hand which had been clasping Damien's went limp and dropped with a sudden thud. He would have taken the time to try and comfort the sobbing man before him if it had not been for his mind catching up with him, reminding him that in his horror and fright at the previous events, he had completely forgotten about Danny.


	82. New Life Lost

I thought I'd post another chapter today too, because I hella can, that's why xD

Have fun folks, three to go.

* * *

He scooped up her body and pelted down the street with her in his arms. His aim was to run to the castle and seek help there, but the longer he carried her the more she seemed to deteriorate, and he was beginning to grow nervous for her life. Her eyelids stayed shut, but her mouth was moving slowly, half forming whispered slurred words. When he reached the castle he burst through, yelling for a first aider or the alchemist who had been summoned to the castle the day before.

"She needs help," he pleaded with the old man, who cast his eyes over the limp body of his wife and bit his lip. "Please... just do anything you can."

And the old alchemist accepted Ben's pleas, leading him through briskly to his own quarters where a dozen or more empty patient tables had been set up. No sooner had Danny been laid down on one did her eyes shoot open and she screamed painfully. Ben leapt away, scared he'd done something wrong, but watched as her hands shot down to her stomach and her face scrunched up in pain.

"Your wife is pregnant, correct?" the alchemist called to him over the anguished cries of the woman on the table.

"Y-yes," he replied, nodding his head as a haze seemed to drop over him, and his world span.

"It's my estimate she is going into early labour because of the injuries she has sustained, how many months gone is she?"

The blond shook his head, his mind whirring as he tried to recall dates which the overhanging issue weighed down on him, making him stressed and making him forget everything.

"I- I don't know!" he cried, hot tears burning his eyes as well as Danny moaned in pain, her dirty face lines with white streaks because of the tears falling thick and fast from her eyes. The sight of her so helpless, hurting so much made him kick his own arse into gear. "About four or five months," he said finally, definition in his voice.

"Then I'm sorry... if she gives birth now the child won't live."

* * *

She could hear him telling Ben that her baby wasn't going to live if she gave birth now, and her heart broke and tears cascaded down from her eyes. She didn't want to lose this life growing inside her, and her mind was telling her to hold on and tense up and not let it out. But her body protested, and her stomach was clenching, and it seemed as if she were determined on some level to get the child out, ready or not.

"I- I don't want to," she cried out, one hand reaching out for Ben, and he came to her, taking her hand in his and clutching it close to his heart, leaning in to kiss his dirty, sweaty forehead.

"I don't want you to either," he said, and she saw the tears escaping his sad, shining blue eyes. "I really don't... but I can't lose you. I need you here and we'll be able to get through this."

His confidence, however much he seemed distraught by the events, reassured her slightly, and with more tears flowing down her face she nodded mutely, waited, and allowed the alchemist to go about his business. She felt odd at having the man inspect her lower body, prodding and poking.

She also winced and hissed when another wave of cramps set over her. She knew they were contractions, and she didn't want them, nor did she want to admit what they were. Every second passing by made her a second closer to losing her unborn child. She didn't want this to happen, so blocking it out was her only choice.

And she sensed more people were there, felt Logan wrap his arms around her, and heard Damien whisper something reassuring in her ear. Felt hands touch her thighs and then she was being told to push. Her tears flowed freely and she sobbed as her child was pushed into the world, dead before she finished birthing it. She watched how Ben held the baby, though it wasn't fully formed, and then the alchemist bundled it up in blankets and took the lifeless form to the other side of the room. She felt him come back and slip health potions down her throat, sustaining her blood levels and forcing her into a state of comatose, helping preserve her energy.

She was mildly awake when she watched Ben break down, crumpling down to his knees on the carpet, burying his hands – covered in her blood - in his hair and yelling out in anguish. She saw his heart breaking and watched as tears fell constantly from his eyes as he wept. She wanted to reach out for him, to hold him and have him hold her so they could grieve together for the loss of their baby. But she was tired... just so tired... she could do no more than let her head loll to the other side, looking to the window where a small sparrow was perched, chirping at her almost reassuringly, and the sky beyond was blue. She fell asleep then to dreams of holding her child in her arms, Ben holding her close to him, and together they looked down in peace at the child, quiet and alive in her arms, and for a small while at least she was at peace, and so was her heart.


	83. Quitting

I realise the last chapter may have been upsetting to some people. This chapter may likewise evoke some negative feelings, I apologise if they do.

I also realised that it is a year tomorrow that I started posting Balverine Child, and I see it only fitting that I end it tomorrow. So I'll be posting the final two chapters then. It's been a long ride folks, and thank you to those who rode it out with me. You're literally the best readers I've ever had :)

* * *

She woke in a different room, her head still facing the window but this time there was something warm next to her, and she turned her head with some pain to see Ben lay beside her, sleeping. His face had a fresh stubble on it, indicating he hadn't shaved and she had been unconscious for days at the very least. Her mind strayed to the dreams she'd been having, watching her child gurgle and coo at her, it's beautiful blue eyes shining up at her.

Then she recalled the fact that she'd lost her baby, and her hand slid down her torso to rest on her tender stomach, feeling how it seemed deflated, flatter and softer. The absence of a bump there tore her heart into more shreds, and she bit her lip to stop herself choking out a sob so as to not wake Ben. But his arm appeared around her chest, and he cuddled himself closer to her, tilting her head towards him and kissing her gently.

"I was worried about you," he whispered, his voice low, with sadness etched into every syllable he spoke. "I didn't want to lose you too."

Danny stayed quiet for a moment, before turning on her side, wincing as pain shot through her body but managing it nonetheless. It didn't stop Ben sitting up rapidly to try and stop her, but she hushed him, settling herself then pulling him back down beside her.

"I've been dreaming," she whispered, and his crystal blue eyes bore into her own emerald ones, waiting for her story. "We were all together. You, me and the baby. And we were safe and happy."

"That's lovely," he whispered, a small smile creeping onto his face. "What did they look look?"

"I think it was a boy," she murmured, closing her eyes to conjure up the memory of her dream child while she still could. "And he had blue eyes like yours... but no hair yet."

"He was bald was he?" Ben chuckled quietly, and she smiled a little, nodding. "We should give him a name."

She opened her eyes then, looking at Ben and showing her shock as he smiled gently at her. His eyes were sad, but she knew he was trying to make the best of a bad situation and she appreciated that from him. She shook her head slightly, whispering that she didn't want to name the child. Deep down she knew he didn't want to either. The flicker of relief that crossed his face only seemed to confirm that much. Naming the baby would make it more real, and the last thing they needed was to become too attached to something they were highly aware they could never have.

Tears pricked at her eyes, and before they had chance to spill Ben had pulled her tightly to his chest, kissing her head and rubbing her back. He whispered gently to her, things she couldn't hear, and she cried into his chest as tears spilled from his eyes too. This was the first chance they'd had to mourn together, and it felt like such a relief to her to be able to grieve with someone who was going through exactly the same thing.

"I love you," he choked out, and she tilted her head up, her eyes red and puffy from crying, and she kissed him on the nose.

"I love you too," she whispered.

And all afternoon they lay with one another, his arms tight around her and her head pressed close to his chest. They'd have moments of silence, comfortable and thoughtful, where they could imagine what life could be like. Then one would tear up, the other would bawl and they'd start off again, mourning.

It was only when she'd fallen asleep again, taken by exhaustion did he slip out of bed. He walked over to the bathroom and filled the sink with water, not bothering to take the time to warm it up. He washed himself then had a quick shave, scraping off three days worth of stubble before he grew another blasted beard. After he was fairly clean shaven, and had avoided getting more than three or four shaving cuts, he went to find some clean clothes from the outfits he'd been brought. He grabbed a pair of black trousers, thick and warm, good for working in, and a plain cotton shirt that he had to button up at the front.

Pulling on some socks, his boots and strapping on his suspenders, he left the room quietly and went for a walk around the castle. The place looked almost as immaculate as it always did, save the maids were still sweeping out piles of sand while butlers were scrubbing at piles of black tar that had been left around after the Crawler attacked. The place also seemed a lot more subdued. Quiet... Sad.

He knew a lot of the staff were friends of Walters, and he understood that they were grieving for him like he was. But there were also staff who'd lost family members in the attack, who hadn't been able to escape or had been caught unawares as they hid. He'd seen a woman break down and sob in the halls yesterday and as he'd gone to comfort her she'd told him how her husband was a soldier and she'd lost him. He could only sympathise, and apologise profusely.

"Being a soldier is... is a hard job," he'd said slowly.

"It's what he'd always wanted to do," she sniffled, drying her eyes on the hanky he offered her. "We knew the risks... but you never think it'll be you..."

He could only nod and swallow the lump forming in his throat, and she must have noticed because she gave him an awkward sympathetic hug before excusing herself, leaving him to find a quiet place to compose himself.

He'd wandered through and was stood in the war room, finding Damien, Logan, Page, Sabine and Kalin, who were calculating numbers for the casualties in each area of Albion. The total so far was forty five thousand and counting, but considering the population was over six and a half million they'd done very well. Damien was having a hard time accepting it though, and was blaming himself for each and every death.

"If it isn't the General," Sabine chimed once he spotted Ben in the doorway, walking over and grasping his hand firmly. "I am so sorry to hear about your loss..."

"Uh... thanks, Sabine. Danny's still resting, but she's doing well, considering."

"Has she mourned yet?" he asked quietly, but no matter how low his voice dropped the others still heard because they'd all gone silent.

"Yeah... she dreams about the baby when she's asleep, and cries for it when she's awake. I... I can't do it any more though."

"Meaning?" Damien shot in sharply, giving Ben a venomous glare. Ben glared back, but his was filled with more acid, more anger than Damien's brown eyes could hold, and the other glanced down quickly.

"Meaning," the blond started, an edge to his voice. "I am stepping down as General. I don't want to be a soldier any more. I won't willingly spend another day in this hell hole, wallowing and trying to comfort my wife who's too sick to move. As soon as she's well again we're going. Travelling, maybe I'll get to take her places she hasn't been before..."

"Samarkand is lovely this time of year," Kalin said softly, a small smile on her face.

But Damien looked horrified, and stood up abruptly, the gust of wind he created scattered his papers and Logan sighed in irritation.

"You can't leave," he said quietly, "Albion still needs you."

"No, Albion is safe, and you're the Hero King. _Danny_ needs me now, and she needs some time away to recover properly."

Logan spoke up then, cutting over Damien before he could protest against Ben's plans for himself and Danny.

"You'll come back though?" he asked, his face concerned. Ben knew then he was about as ready to lose Danny as he was. Which was just not at all. They had different reasons obviously, he knew Logan didn't want to lose her as a friend.

"Course. She'll end up missing you," he said with a small smile. "Besides we need to sort out our cottage, since that bastard Crawler messed it up."

"I'll house sit for you if you like," Logan replied, grinning a little.

"Yeah, might be best. Water the plants and all."

They laughed then, and for the first time in weeks Ben felt a glimmer of happiness, but then his thoughts trailed back to the losses of the past few days, and he frowned again.

"When's Wally's funeral?"

Damien coughed slightly, before opening his mouth to speak.

"In a few days. We're making a memorial statue for him in the gardens and he's being buried down with my mother and father. It was built for my family... and at the end of the day, he is, isn't he?"

Ben nodded, smiling.

"He'd tell you that you were being too emotional over it."

"More like 'balls to that!'" Logan laughed, and the room erupted with him as everyone cast their thoughts to the gruff old man who just seemed to add that spark to their lives.


	84. Sail Away

Final chapter up next!

Sorry for evoking sad feelings yesterday, although thanks for being positive about my writing guys :)

* * *

Danny was clinging to Ben's arm as the ship lurched about, seemingly worried that if she even for a second let her grip loosen she'd go tumbling over the rails and drown in the murky waters beneath. The ship hadn't even set sail yet, and she was still with Ben in the Bowerstone docking yard just off the piers from Industrial.

"I don't like this..." she murmured and all the blond could to was chuckle.

"You'll be fine love, I'm here with you," he said softly, trying to calm her nerves. She was trembling slightly, and her face was pale with the slightest green tinge to it.

"Is she all right to travel?" Page asked, and Ben was surprised to hear a note of concern in the half caste woman. She used to loathe Danny and her background with Balverines, but nowadays she was constantly asking about her and making sure she was okay with an almost sisterly protective nature about her.

"She'll be fine," Damien said, a lot more chipper than he had been when he'd been told that Ben was leaving with Danny. "I suppose it doesn't help that last time she was on a boat it was blown up and she was left stranded in the desert before going blind."

"I don't think that would help anyone conquer travelling fears," Page muttered, her eyes narrowing to slits.

"Don't be such a grouch," the King laughed, pulling her into a one armed hug and the expression on her face softened considerably. Ben smiled slightly, having the inkling that there was something going on between the rebel leader and the royal, since they'd warmed up to one another a lot more in the last few weeks.

He watched the two bicker half heartedly, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Logan hugging Danny close to him. He smiled at himself, musing in the fact that just a few months ago he would have been jealous and stupid about the whole thing, but the small testosterone packed being inside him told him to keep an eye on the darker haired bloke, just in case.

They were just talking quietly, his face solemn while hers was graced with a small smile. He knew Logan really hated the fact that they were leaving for Samarkand for Avo knows how long, and he hated the fact that he didn't know when the couple would return so he could talk to his friends again like he could no other. But Logan understood why they had to go and wished them all the best. He was pressing something small into her hands, before kissing her forehead and turning to leave. The gangplank was right by Ben, and he stopped and smiled rather bitterly before extending his hand for a shake.

"Promise you'll return her in one piece?" he said, a hint of a smile on his pale face.

"Define 'one piece'?" Ben laughed, earning himself a soft dig on his arm by the older man, and a warm handshake. "No, of course we'll be coming back safe."

"Good. I don't think it will be the same here without you."

"Without her you mean?" Ben asked, cocking an eyebrow and smirking slightly.

"Without you both, I see you more as a package deal nowadays."

"Good man," the blond laughed, before his entire demeanour changed. His stance was a little more slumped, his yes narrowed a little and his face dropped into a slight grimace. "I need you to do me one thing?"

"Anything," Logan replied, looking intrigued yet serious.

"I need you to... to take care of his grave. I don't want it looking shitty for her when we come back."

Of course Ben was referencing the grave site of his and Danny's first child, the baby boy who had died during childbirth that came too early. While Danny was still unconscious he hired a young carpenter to construct a tiny coffin for the child, and before Danny could awaken and demand to see the baby that had barely began to form features he had laid the tiny bundle inside the coffin and nailed it up, tears threatening to leak from his eyes at any time, and often managing to.

Once his young wife had been strong enough to walk around and leave her room, he took her, Logan and Damien to their wreck of a cottage and had dug a small hole in the ground. They laid the baby to rest, and he carved a headstone himself out of a slab of rock and placed it above the grave of his child, giving no name or dates of the deceased, but willing Avo to allow the babe to rest in peace.

Danny had been content in that, seeing her husband lay their baby in the ground and give it a real send off, rather than the hundreds who had been slaughtered in the Darkness' attack who had their bodies hauled out of the streets of towns and villages and buried in a mass grave. The cemeteries did not have the room to accommodate so many, but the families of each of the dead sent in the names and ages of the people who died, and a large monument was being built to honour them.

"I'll be there every day," Logan whispered, clasping the blondes hand and nodding curtly, before taking his leave and stepping off the vessel.

"Be safe you two!" Page called as she strode off after him, clearing the way quickly for the sailors and crew members who had agreed to take them to their destination.

"I expect to hear from you Finn!" Damien called as he jumped off the boat and turned to watch as the sails were raised and the harnesses loosed. "If you don't write then I'll bloody come and find you."

"Oh sod off!" Ben yelled over the calls and cries of the crew setting sail, but there was the biggest grin on his face and he wrapped his arm tightly around Danny who had stumbled her way over to him and flung herself in his arms.

And the two parties waved as Ben and Danny set course for their new lives of adventure and exploration, leaving behind their worries and the plights of Albion even if only for a short while before returning to their home in Brightwall.

"Will we be okay?" Danny asked quietly as the coast faded into a faint line over the horizon and the land she'd known since the day she was born sank into the ocean.

"We'll be fine Danny, you just have to be a bit more adventurous," Ben said, a small smile on his face. He looked at her properly for the first time in days, and took in her appearance.

She looked a lot smaller than usual, a lot more ill than she had before this whole damned thing with the Crawler started. Her cheeks weren't rosy like they usually were, and instead were sallow and pale. Under her eyes were faint purple rings, indicating her lack of sleep or the abundance of stress she was coping with, and while her eyes were still as vibrant a green as ever, they seemed to be missing that joyful twinkle they usually had. It was like all the passion and life had been sucked from her, and he was seriously hoping that she would be able to find her old self again on this trip.

"It'll be fun," he said gently, tucking her loose hair behind her ears and cupping her face, bringing his nose to hers and smiling. "It'll be good for you."

She nodded and stood shakily on her tiptoes to kiss him, still not finding her sea legs. He doubt she ever would, since she was very much a land creature, and he smiled to himself through the kiss imagining how glad she'd be to get off the boat and back onto solid land again.

* * *

It took several days to convince Danny that this ship was safe, though she still spent much of her time holed away up in their cabin where she refused to come out. The one day she'd braved it, midweek, they ran into a huge storm, and almost as soon as she'd come up onto the deck was she fleeing back beneath it. She could only admire Ben and his ability to adapt to any situation. She was aware he had previous sailing experience, but she had no idea he was as good as he blatantly was. He could scale the rigging faster than the most seasoned man aboard, knew what to do and when and practically blended in with the crew after the third day. It was when they hit the storm that he really came into his own. He took charge as the Captain was stone cold drunk and the first mate had already gone overboard, lost at sea. He was shouting orders to the men to take the sails up, running and launching himself at the wheel before wrestling with it and forcing the entire ship in the right direction.

He ordered life lines to be fastened to every man on deck and every man (and woman) below had to hold tight onto something and stay the hell where they were. If they came up the likelihood was they'd be swept over the sides and no way in hell would another man dive in there to save their behinds.

Once they'd gotten through the worst of the storm and the waters were choppy rather than heaving in tumultuous waves, Ben gave the wheel to one of the other crew members who slapped him gratefully on the back and her husband went down to their cabin, soaking wet and shivering to find Danny curled up in the corner of the room with a blanket wrapped tightly around her. She was shaking, refused to move, and he sighed slightly before dropping to his knees and pulling her trembling form close to him, hugging her and kissing her atop her head gently.

"Come on now, it's over with," he hushed her, and she looked up at his sodden hair that had curled slightly before smiling a little and scraping it back over his head, slicking it right back.

"I hate boats," she muttered, and he burst out laughing at her while nodding his head.

"Me too babe, me too."

* * *

She'd been sat on a stool on the deck for hours, listening to Ben talk endlessly about his adventures around Albion. He'd told her once before, regaling her with his tales of his seedy life while she was caged oh so long ago back in Silverpines.

She understood more now, and instead of sitting like she had before confused by his words she listened intently, transfixed and astounded by what he did before he became a soldier in the Royal Albion Army. She saw his smile widening the longer he spoke, happy she was giving him her full attention, and even some of the other men strayed over to listen to bits of the blonds life. He never ceased telling people he was married to a girl who grew with Balverines, and when they were shocked and doubtful he'd laugh and give them the whole tale where he found her in Silverpines and with his troop killed half the Balverine pack, captured her and brought her back to civilisation. How she'd become more acceptable to society before aiding the King in his revolution against his brother, then formed an alias between humans and Balverines single handedly and defeating the Crawler with them.

He told them all of the times she'd launch her way through hoards of Hollow Men and could snap the necks of mercenaries. How she'd survived on her own through the Shifting Sands in Aurora and how she was able to piss Page, the rebel leader, off to no end.

They all laughed about it, and it was only a cry from above that snapped them back to the here and now.

"Land ahoy!"

She stood abruptly, rushing to the front of the ship and staring at the orange and green coastline before them. Huge mountains and forests covered the biggest part of the land they could see, while warm sand and small towns littered the length of the coast. It looked clean, and fresh and welcoming, and part of Danny lifted instantly as she looked upon the place that would be her home for the next few years. An arm wrapped around her waist and she was pulled flush against her husbands chest, her back to him as he rested his chin on her shoulder and looked out to Samarkand with her.

"Reckon we'll have fun?" he asked her in a hushed voice, as if he couldn't believe it. They'd been on the ship for weeks, perhaps months, and the prospect of walking on land again seemed a little strange to even her.

"I reckon it'll be the best thing that ever happened to us," she replied, her face breaking into a smile.


	85. Epilogue

Exactly one year ago today I began posting my story 'Balverine Child', taken by the idea that the creatures we fought in the games perhaps had some semblance of humanity left within them. It's taken a long time, many hours and a lot of effort to get this story finished and posted up. I actually couldn't be happier with the end of this story, and I really would like to thank each and every individual who has read and reviewed this story, and stayed with me right through to the very end.

So after one year, we are finished.

For the last time, for this fic,

Enjoy.

* * *

His fingers ran gently over the cold stone, and he bowed his head slightly. The air seemed tense and it was only when a hand touched his shoulder gently that he pulled himself back to reality. That was the past, and he needed to immerse himself in the here and now. Of course nothing could stop him loving the being buried beneath him, but there were more pressing matters at the moment.

Turning his head, he looked at the child next to him, with straggly blond hair and the most striking eyes a being could have. The brightest, almost white blue around the pupil, then as the iris expanded, the colour seemed to change, turning aqua, then turning into a light hazel green. His son smiled up at him, pushing his own bangs out of his eyes and smiling into those blue depths.

"Is this my big brother?" the boy asked, looking at the mound of grass and the small stone dedicated to the child that never was.

"Yep, this is them," he explained, sitting on the grass and pulling the boy into his lap, wrapping his arms around his slight frame and hugging him. He was six, but his physical physique resembled that of an eight year old, and though Ben was happy he was growing up healthy and happy he was always secretly a little disappointed that he wasn't filling out and turning into a strapping young man like he'd hoped for. Avo and everyone else knew he'd grow to be like his mother. He was thin, but had long strong limbs that could propel him forward when he ran and gave him the ability to jump higher than should be humanly possible. Something in Danny must have evolved when she grew with Balverines, and she passed it down to her child, making him some kind of monkey hybrid.

"Does it make you sad?" the child asked in a whisper.

"Oh, yeah, Toby. I miss them everyday, but it doesn't hurt as much any more."

"Like getting a cut? It hurts a lot as first but then it hurts less and less?" Toby said, and Ben smiled as the child made the analogy. But before he could reply something made the child in his arms shoot up and he whirled around where he was sat to see the face of a man he'd befriended long ago. His hair was lighter, the dark brown alluding to silvery blond wisps along the side of his head, his clothing a lot more casual, and there was even a young woman stood beside him, her belly large with child.

"Cuts always leave scars though, you never forget," he said quietly, before stooping and grasping Ben's hand, pulling him to his feet before pulling him into a large embrace. "It's taken you ten years, I didn't think you were coming back."

"I don't think we intended to," Ben chuckled, pulling away from Logan and beaming at him. "But things change, don't they?" he said, nodding to the young brunette who blushed slightly and curtsied to the blond.

"Are we talking about how you look like an old man now?" Logan joked. It was true to some extent. At thirty six, Ben's hair still had that golden blond look to it, but up close you could make out the silver peppered through his hair. Barely noticeable but still there. His eyes still shone their brilliant blue but the rings under his eyes signified that he was tired after his years away. Not to mention the boy stood behind him had given him more than his fair share of sleepless nights.

"Oh, says you, you old sod. Besides this is stress, I've had to take care of this little hell-raiser," Ben scoffed, but grinned largely anyway as Toby grinned sheepishly.

There was a pause from both men, as if they couldn't think of anything to say, before Logan coughed slightly and looked around the area, to the small cottage nestled into the trees that seemed as empty as it had these long years.

"Where is she?" he asked quietly, and he noted Ben seemed to tense slightly. He paused again, then pressed on, "you said you'd bring her back safe."

"Yes, I did," Ben said, defensively. "It's just she's-"

"She's gone to get food from town!" Toby chipped in, grinning past the three adults to the path ahead before bounding past them and wrapping his arms around the oncoming woman.

Every head present turned and looked at the woman. She was a fair twenty nine, her hair was considerably shorter but it allowed the natural curl in her hair to spring up instead of being weighed down by the previous length and weight of it. Gentle curls framed her face, still pale and rosy cheeked but slightly fuller than the last time Logan had seen her. She looked healthy and those big green eyes shone when she saw him. She stooped to kiss her child on his head, then practically ran to the darker haired man, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his chest.

"I went looking for you!" Danny cried, her voice muffled by his shirt. "I couldn't find you in town."

Logan could only beam down at her as she pulled away, noting slightly the pale blue glow of the trinket around her neck, before he looked around at her family and her old home in which she'd be moving back into. Ben watched on, smiling as his son grabbed hold of his arm, climbing up onto his back unaided. He chuckled and gave the boy a pat on the head. Danny was offering the necklace to Logan, who refused it politely with a smile on his face.

"I gave it to you," he said, "it was something to remember me by since you went away."

Danny laughed, her face splitting into a huge grin, "but I'm back and I have you to remember you by!"

"Still, keep it."

She did as she was told, replacing the chain around her neck with the heavy pendant strung onto it. Ben managed to coax her away from Logan and his new misses to go back into their old house. He could sense the hesitation around her, since the last time she went in she'd been kidnapped and possessed by a huge darkness monster.

But upon opening the door and entering the cottage, their jaws dropped and Toby squeezed past with a huge grin on his face, running to the warm plush sofa and jumping on it. The whole place had been cleaned and redecorated, since it was left in such a state last time. The couple could feel arms drape over their shoulders and turned simultaneously to look at Logan, who was smirking in self satisfaction.

"Welcome home."


End file.
